Saban Returns to Scene of His Prime

With Louisiana State coach Les Miles about to talk with Michigan and defensive coordinator Bo Pelini reportedly going to Nebraska, Alabama's Nick Saban spent Wednesday recruiting the Baton Rouge area.

The Daily Reveille reports that Saban flew into the Baton Rouge airport and was escorted by Louisiana State Troopers to an undisclosed location.

The Monroe News Star reports that Saban sees this as a prime time to invade his old stomping gounds.

"That's why he's in the state right now," Bastrop (La.) coach Brad Bradshaw said. "He sees an opportunity to pounce, and that's what he's doing."

Thanks to Tiger Droppings.

Where We Stand on the Job Openings

Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, left, among the coaches who have talked with Nebraska, doesn't sound as if he's ready to become the Cornhuskers' next coach. Grobe gave an interview Thursday to Raleigh's 850 The Buzz and from the sound of it, he's not in the mix at Lincoln. Bo Pelini and Turner Gill are considered to be the finalists, and Gill isn't talking.

Arkansas: There were a flurry of reports indicating that Tommy Tuberville had agreed to become Razorback coach, but even Arkansas media outlets are backpedaling from those accounts. Tuberville's departure was news to reporters in Alabama, who say Tuberville was in Arkansas to hunt for ducks, not a new job. Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs says he hasn't been contacted by anybody from Arkansas, which is a stipulation in Tuberville's contract.

Houston: Alabama offensive coordinator Major Applewhite and former Miami coach Larry Coker are being mentioned as possible candidates.

Michigan: The agent for Louisiana State's Les Miles said he has not been contacted by anyone in the Michigan athletic department, but Miles "wants to be the next coach at Michigan," according to a friend. LSU is ready to navigate into $3.5 million waters to keep Miles. Michigan reportedly will go to only $3 million.

Southern Methodist: Sources tell the Dallas Morning News that the Mustangs are interested in Navy's Paul Johnson.

Washington State: The Seattle Times reports that Greg Olson, the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, is expected to be among the candidates.

Navy's Prank of Pranks on Army

Army's successful prank of stealing Navy's mules, then posting the video on YouTube was nothing compared to what the Midshipmen pulled off in 1992, according to Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun.

Unlike the Navy's goats, unguarded on a farm 15 miles outside Annapolis, the Midshipmen decided to go after Army's mules, which are housed on school grounds in a veterinary compound with guards stationed at the gate and the barn.

The plan was hatched by the class of 1991 and executed in 1992. A group of 17 Midshipmen were involved, making several reconnaissance missions to West Point, posing as tourists to map out the area, snapping photos and shooting video. One of the Midshipmen was an electrical engineering major, and he visited West Point to study the alarm systems.

The story has many twists and turns, but Navy was able to pull it off in what is thought to be the only time Army's mules were stolen in the 117-year history of Army-Navy.

Hawaii's Charmed Season Continues

We told you earlier this week that six helmets belonging to Hawaii players were stolen during the postgame celebration after the Warriors' victory against Boise State. Hawaii station KITV made an appeal Tuesday night for the return of the helmets — no questions asked. Incredibly, all the helmets have been returned. Thanks to the Warriors Will Throw.

Reporters' Notebooks

Bill Mayer, Lawrence Journal-World: The 2007 records of the five coaches who did not play college football: Kansas' Mark Mangino (11-1), Texas Tech's Mike Leach (8-4), Texas A&M's Dennis Franchione (8-4), Navy's Paul Johnson (7-4 to date) and Notre Dame's Crewcut Charlie Weis (3-9).

Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer: After a long legal battle, Joe Paterno's salary is public. The Penn State coach will earn a surprisingly low $512,664 in 2007.

Mel Bracht, Oklahoman: Having covered Lee Corso's 1976 Indiana team for the Indiana Daily Student, he's not surprised Corso made it big in television.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: Two suspended Texas players were indicted by a grand jury for their alleged roles in a July robbery.

John McClain, Houston Chronicle: Recent history shows that athletic directors who dip into the NFL to find head coaches are taking a risk. Sometimes that risk is not worth taking.

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: The newspaper has obtained all of Dennis Franchione's VIP Newsletters that Texas A&M officials have collected. To view all the PDF files, click here.

Jeff Carroll, South Bend Tribune: It appears the Pacific 10 officiating and replay crew at the Notre Dame-Stanford game blew a call.

Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News: A lot of things have to happen, but Michigan and Louisiana State could meet in the Capital One Bowl.

Larry Brown Sports: Granny Holtz blames the irresponsible Internet for turning up the heat on coaches. Brown's comment: "It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to be a blogger. You got analysts and prominent media members out there bashing you left and right, creating a constant struggle."

Tess Hollis, Auburn Plainsman: A Birmingham jeweler is playing damage control for an "offensive" Auburn advertisement that ran in the Birmingham News. Thanks to UWire.

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: In the end, Louisville found passion and a running game. It resulted in a victory against Rutgers.

Lexington Herald-Leader: Kentucky fans who were arrested after they stormed the Commonwealth Stadium field to celebrate the Wildcats' victory against Louisiana State will not face trespassing charges.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: Bronco Mendenhall is the best coach you've never heard of, restoring Brigham Young as the premier team in the Mountain West.

Crystal Ball

Double D, Boston Herald: Those bumbling UCLA Bruins have a chance to play in the Rose Bowl but must play at USC. This looks like a rerun of "Mission Impossible." Ignore all that and take the Bruins and the points against the Trojans.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Oklahoma has too much firepower and will take down Missouri in the Big 12 title game.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: His Pacific 10 selections have Stanford keeping it close against California.

National Championship Issue: You think Tennessee is going to spring the upset against Louisiana State in the Southeastern Conference title game? Think again.

Phil Steele: His top 25 forecast calls for Virginia Tech to defeat Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

New York Post: Saturday's heroes tackle the spread.

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

Rate of Unemployment Remains High

Because we care, here is the latest on the coaching openings:

Arkansas: Good luck, Razorback fans. First, Tommy Tuberville's name is being tossed about. Consider that Texas A&M just took a look at Tuberville's $6 million buyout clause and said no, so the chances of Tuberville becoming Arkansas' coach are slim and none with none being a heavy favorite. Oakland Raider coach Lane Kiffin is also being mentioned. "That's news to me," Kiffin said. And consider that Kiffin signed a three-year contract in January and would need to persuade Raiders owner Al Davis to let him out of the remaining two years. In other words, no chance in hell.

Georgia Tech: A lengthy list at this point, with Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, former Auburn coach Terry Bowden and Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe among those mentioned. Still in the development stage.

Michigan: Louisiana State's Les Miles will talk with the Wolverines, but not until after Saturday's Southeastern Conference title game. Miles' agent George Bass flew from Dallas to Baton Rouge on Wednesday to discuss enhancements and pay increases to Miles' contract with LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe. It's clear LSU is not going to let Miles leave without first offering him a bundle of money. In an interesting sidenote, ESPN analyst and former NFL and Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman said he would select Iowa's Kirk Ferentz over "questionable" call-maker Miles.

Nebraska: Buffalo's Turner Gill and Louisiana State defensive coordinator Bo Pelini have interviewed. Wake Forest's Jim Grobe is also believed to have interviewed. But the ability to track the Cessna Citation CJ3 used by Tom Osborne on Sunday and Monday has been lost. Richard Robinson, the Cornhusker booster who owns the aircraft, paid a fee to have it removed from flight-tracking websites.

Southern Methodist: Rick Neuheisel, the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator and former Colorado and Washington coach, said he had been contacted indirectly about the job. Officials have raised an estimated $10 million in order to lure a top-flight coach.

Southern Mississippi: South Carolina defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix is scheduled to interview this week with his alma mater about replacing Jeff Bower.

Washington State: Texas El Paso's Mike Price has been contacted about the job. Also expressing interest are John L. Smith, the former Michigan State, Louisville, Utah State and Idaho coach, Eastern Washington's Paul Wulff, whose I-AA Eagles play Appalachian State in the national quarterfinals this week, and California defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. Here is an interesting piece on Price and his possible interest/motivation in returning to Pullman.

'Operation Good Shepherd' Is a Success

Army and Navy are finishing preparations for Saturday's game in Baltimore, but the Black Knights have already pulled off a rather entertaining prank, stealing Navy's three goats during a commando-like raid and documenting it by putting a video on YouTube, above. Navy has issued its YouTube response, below.

Reporters' Notebooks

Scott Cacciola, Memphis Commerical Appeal: More than 1,500 people were on hand to greet new Mississippi coach Houston Nutt. An estimated 500 people had to be turned away at the door. Nutt has a four-year deal valued at more than $7.4 million.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Greg Robinson, 7-28 in three seasons, will be back as Syracuse's coach.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Art Briles is Baylor's coach. He left Houston for a seven-year deal that will pay him up to $1.8 million annually, including incentives.

Eric Connor, Greenville News: The American Civil Liberties Union has accused Clemson's Tommy Bowden of abusing his authority by imposing his religious beliefs on players.

Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate: Louisiana State quarterback Matt Flynn's sore throwing shoulder might not allow him to play against Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference title game.

Adam Kilgore, Washington Post: For the second season in a row, the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game will give off an embarrassing appearance on television — swaths of empty teal seats at Jacksonville's Municipal Stadium.

Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: Because it's never too early to look ahead, a glance at how the Pacific 10 race is shaping up for 2008.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Confident Hawaii, which plays Washington on Saturday night, is planning to invite fans to a nationally televised celebration of its bowl pairing as part of Fox Sports' selection show Sunday.

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: University of Arizona police received numerous noise complaints from homes surrounding Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats pumped in crowd noise during a two-hour practice for Saturday's game at Arizona State.

Christian Swezey, Washington Post: The Congressional Bowl — a proposed 2008 game for the Washington D.C. area — is aiming for one of the participants to be a service academy team, starting with Navy in 2008 and Army in 2009.

Luciana Chavez, Raleigh News & Observer: South Carolina's Steve Spurrier was spotted in Durham talking with Duke athletic director Joe Alleva, likely giving his opinion on who the Blue Devils should consider for their coaching opening.

Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas receiver Dezmon Briscoe is due in court on Jan. 2, which is the date of the Fiesta Bowl, the expected postseason destination of the Jayhawks.

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: It's time to implement a plan for the post-Bobby Bowden era at Florida State.

Jack Stripling, Gainesville Sun: Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade and a University of Florida professor, died Tuesday morning. He was 80.

Today's not so mystery link: Video of the recent Bobby Knight shooting incident. For background, click this link.

ESPN Has Its Man on the Search Committee

Word out of Ann Arbor is that ESPN's Desmond Howard has been named to Michigan's search committee to help find the successor to Lloyd Carr. This is a good thing for ESPN, which figures to be a lock to break this story now that it has access to the inner circle. Just imagine the embarrassment if the four-letter network were to get scooped!

The bad news for the Wolverines? It's that Howard is on the search committee. Desmond seems like a nice enough guy, but who can forget his expert analysis on last year's Holiday Bowl. Texas A&M was California's opponent, not Texas. At least the graphics department got it right.

Howard was later summoned to the Budweiser Hot Seat where he apologized.

Maloofs Climb Aboard the Pineapple Express

Last time we heard from the billionaire Maloof brothers — Joe and Gavin — they were noshing on $6 burgers at their Palms Casino in Vegas. They've resurfaced in another playground of the rich — Hawaii.

The brothers recently attended a Hawaii practice and game and met coach June Jones. During the meeting, Jones told the billionaire brothers that his recruiting budget was only $50,000.

"I couldn't believe what I heard," said Joe, who played football at New Mexico. "I couldn't believe he built this kind of team — I guess you can call it a dynasty — with the type of budget that he has."

The Maloofs then donated $50,000 to Na Koa, the team's booster club, and cut a $25,000 check to the June Jones Foundation. They also plan to establish a scholarship in Jones' name valued at $15,000 annually.

Hawaii — the only remaining unbeaten team — is all the rage. The Warriors' game against Boise State produced the largest audience for ESPN of its 14 Friday night games on ESPN or ESPN2 this season.

Now the Warriors are not without problems. At least six Hawaii players had their helmets swiped during the postgame celebration after the win over Boise State. Plus receiver Davone Bess has been reprimanded by the Western Athletic Conference for taunting Nevada fans after the Warriors' victory on Nov. 16.

A Lott of People Don't Care About Trent

What's more important in Mississippi, outgoing Senator Trent Lott, or outgoing Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower?

It's not even close.

Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger writes in his blog that the paper's website story on Lott stepping down received 46,037 hits on Monday. The story on Bower's dismissal tallied 125,441 hits, a difference of 79,404.

Cleveland has several entries dealing with Southern Mississippi's stunning decision to send Bower packing. Of interest is an email he received from Jeff Hammond, a former Golden Eagle quarterback who is now commanding the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division that is in the process of deploying to Baghdad for the next 15 months. Part of Hammond's email:

"Jeff did things right at USM and in the end produced young men who for the most part will make us all proud into the future. He won games, graduated students, changed the face of USM Football and did more than any others before him.

"I cried a bit yesterday at the news of his departure…Had to go home for a few hours just to be with my wife, Diane. Unsuccessfully attempted to contact Jeff via telephone to tell him we care…He is USM Family and we cannot “hire” what he brought to the table. In fact, we could use more like him."

Reporters' Notebooks

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: In an attempt to control bowl speculation, the Southeastern Conference has imposed a gag order on bowl chairmen, executive directors, and spokesmen until after Saturday's games.

Scott Cacciola, Memphis Commercial Appeal: In the coaching hire of the offseasion, it took Houston Nutt and Mississippi less than six hours to agree on a four-year deal worth more than $7.4 million.

Pete Pelegrin, Miami Herald: Florida International, losers of 23 in a row, is offering free admission to Saturday night's game against North Texas, the last college football game to be played in the Orange Bowl.

Evan Woodbery, Mobile Press-Register: Auburn plans to review security procedures after cornerback Jerraud Powers was bitten by a police dog late in the fourth quarterback of the Iron Bowl. Video link.

Eagle in Atlanta: Who says it's difficult to beat a team a second time? A little research shows otherwise.

Tom Kirkendall: Tulsa officials have filed a complaint with Conference USA over a halftime performance by Rice's marching band that took a jab at former Owl and current Golden Hurricane coach Todd Graham.

Michael Murphy, Houston Chronicle: Houston's Art Briles interviewed with Baylor but at the end of the day said he was "still proud to be a Houston Cougar."

Heisman Pundit: Tim Tebow holds a slim lead over Darren McFadden in this week's Heisman Trophy straw poll, with Chase Daniels lurking in third.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: The loser of the Big 12 title game between Missouri and Oklahoma is likely headed to the Cotton Bowl.

Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News: Standout Missouri freshman Jeremy Maclin, who originally committed to Oklahoma, said he changed his mind in part because Sooner coach Bob Stoops "never came to my house."

Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle: Texas A&M is catching heat from the Black Coaches Association for its quick hire of Mike Sherman.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Sonny Lubick's departure from Colorado State was difficult to the end.

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: Thursday night's Rutgers-Louisville game is a matchup of teams that have fallen short of expectations.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Former Duke coach Ted Roof on what advice he'd give his successor: "Make sure you get all the facts and ask all the questions walking in the door. Look back at the 30-year history. A lot of coaches have come and gone. They need to take a look at every part of the program."

Michael Klitzing, North County Times: San Diego State coach Chuck Long was given the dreaded vote of confidence by athletic director Jeff Schemmel.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link.

The Joy of Six

Our last grouping of front pages from Week 13 games, leading with the Alabama-Auburn game. Click an image for a closer look.

USC Set to Move Games to the Rose Bowl

USC is negotiating to move home games beginning in 2008 to the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Times reports.

USC approached the Rose Bowl because officials have grown frustrated with the lack of progress on a lease agreement to remain in the L.A. Coliseum, which first played host to a Trojan home game in 1922. USC's potential move has the blessing of rival UCLA, which is the primary tenant of the Pasadena venue.

The Times reports that USC had offered to fund a minimum of $100 million over 10 years toward the repair and restoration of the Coliseum, which is adjacent to the USC campus. As part of that deal, the school would be in charge of running the venue. Coliseum officials have said no to the proposal.

If USC moves, Saturday's game against UCLA could be the last for the Trojans in the Coliseum, the historic venue that has played host to two Olympic games.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

About the Ferentz-to-Michigan Chatter ...

If Kirk Ferentz is headed to Michigan, it's news to nearly everybody, including Iowa athletic director Gary Barta.

"There is nothing new regarding Kirk ... no news," Barta wrote in an email to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. A clause in Ferentz's contract stipulates that he must notify the athletic department before discussing any opportunities elsewhere.

Speculation surrounding Ferentz becoming Michigan's coach started almost immediately after Lloyd Carr announced he was stepping down. Former Des Moines Register sportswriter Ron Maly was among the first to brush off talk of any interest in Ferentz by Michigan. "Would Michigan hire a coach to beat Ohio State who can't beat Iowa State?" Maly wrote in his blog.

But the respected M Go Blog, which first broke the news about Carr's retirement, continues to suggest Ferentz is in the mix. That has spread to message boards, including this interesting post saying the reason Carr stepped down was because he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease several years ago. (Carr has been medicated, according to the post, and for the most part has been fine.) The post also suggests that Carr and Louisiana State's Les Miles, thought to be near the top of Michigan's coaching list, were not the best of friends.

"Miles’ and Carr’s dislike for each other played out on the recruiting trail for years. Miles was allegedly one of the first coaches telling kids about Carr’s health and impending retirement and that was 4 years ago. The dislike spiraled and spiraled.

"This is what Carr meant in his resignation speech when he said that certain issues would be left on the recruiting trails [it was directed at Miles]."

Nebraska Getting Close to Decision

Nebraska "interim" athletic director Tom Osborne and university chancellor Harvey Perlman arrived back in Lincoln on Monday night after a two-day swing that took them to Baton Rouge and Atlanta in search of a successor to fired coach Bill Callahan.

About 20 reporters were waiting at the airport for Osborne, who was asked if he had anything to say about the search. "No, nothing. Thanks for coming. I know you had nothing better to do."

This much is known: Louisiana State's Bo Pelini and Buffalo's Turner Gill have been interviewed. Other names being tossed about include Wake Forest's Jim Grobe and Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. The Omaha World-Herald, citing an anonymous source, said a new coach could be in place as early as Wednesday.

And to correct an earlier report in the World-Herald, a second plane that traveled from Omaha to Atlanta on Monday appears to have no connection to the search. That aircraft is registered to regent and booster Howard Hawks, whose company, Tenaska Inc., operates a power-generating station in Georgia. The five men who deplaned in Atlanta appeared unconnected to the search, the paper reported.

Sign of the Times

Check out the frame grab of a sign being held by an Auburn fan at the end of the Tigers' sixth consecutive victory against rival Alabama. Thanks to Deep South Sports.

Reporters' Notebooks

Natalie Meisler and Terry Frel, Denver Post: Sonny Lubick is out as Colorado State's coach. A news conference — nothing more than a spin job — will be held Tuesday announcing that Lubick, 70, will become senior associate athletic director.

Scott Cacciola, Memphis Commercial Appeal: Houston Nutt was a busy man on Monday. He "resigned" as Arkansas coach between negotiating terms of a possible deal to become Mississippi coach.

Dwain Price, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Houston's Art Briles will interview Tuesday for the Baylor job.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State's Chris Petersen, whose name has been mentioned with nearly every opening, does not sound like a man looking for a new gig: "This is a great place. I'm completely happy here. I'm not even kind of looking to go anywhere else, and I hope I can stay a long time."

Terry Hutchens, Indianapolis Star: Bill Lynch, who took over Indiana on an interim basis after the death of Terry Hoeppner, was given a four-year contract.

John Mullin, Chicago Tribune: Joe Novak has stepped down as coach at Northern Illinois. Among the expected candidates: Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood, Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley and former Cincinnati coach Rick Minter.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse is unlikely to fire Greg Robinson because of a costly buyout — around $3 million.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington athletic director Todd Turner, when asked whether there was any doubt that Tyrone Willingham would return next season: "Not in my mind."

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Bill Doba made it easy for Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk to decide to go in another direction.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: Advice for new Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman: Start owning recruiting in the Houston area and the Golden Triangle encompassing Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange. That's where some of A&M's best players have come from.

Tom Kirkendall: The hiring of Sherman at seven years for $1.8 million per year is a good hire, especially considering how A&M badly overpaid for Dennis Franchione.

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Might Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley be standing in the way of a Florida-Illinois bowl matchup because he wouldn't want the Gators to face the coach — Ron Zook — he fired three years ago?

Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News: It wasn't the 6-6 record that was surprising, really. It was the way Alabama arrived at the .500 mark.

Mike Baldwin, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State most likely will play in the Insight Bowl after Alamo Bowl officials narrowed their Big 12 choices to Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: The Sun Bowl voted to extend an invitation to South Florida. A team from the Pacific 10 will be the opponent.

Rick Scoppe, Greenville News: South Carolina could get an invitation to the Music City Bowl, where its opponent could be Florida State.

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Air Force has accepted a bid to play in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

Jeff Wilson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Texas Christian is expected to play in the Texas Bowl, where it would take on the hometown Houston Cougars.

Ryan Autullo, Toledo Blade: Bowling Green is expected to get an invitation to the GMAC Bowl.

Dave Curtis, Orlando Sentinel: A complete list of bowl projections.

Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News: Veteran Stanford announcer Bob Murphy is calling his last game on Saturday — the Big Game against California.

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Scary Moment for Stanford's Pritchard

Happy to report that Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard, one of the heroes of the Cardinal victory over USC, has been cleared to play against California after this horrific and questionable hit by Notre Dame's Terrail Lambert.

Cheap Shot?

Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield suffered an injury to a shoulder on this play when hit by USC's Will Harris during a Nov. 3 game at the L.A. Coliseum. Canfield hasn't played since and his status for Saturday's Civil War game against Oregon has yet to be determined.

Our question: Is this a cheap shot? Harris does appear to be leading with his helmet, but Canfield was slow in getting down. The gang at the Oregon State fan site Building The Dam clearly believe this is a cheapie.

Battle for the Beehive Boot

Here is video shot by the Salt Lake Tribune of Saturday's Utah-Brigham Young game at Provo. More newspapers are shooting video and photographers or reporters are often required to shot the video in addition to their other responsibilities. Of course, they aren't paid for the extra work. Management will tell you there are no victims, only volunteers, but all of this is an issue for another journalistic day.

Display Type

Here is the second set of front pages from last week's games. It was an exceptional week for designers, but hey, that's what happens when you put college football on the front page! We will post the last group on Wednesday. Click an image for a closer look.

Ousted: Nutt, Gailey, Doba, Roof and Bower

Five more coaches are gone in what has quickly become the bloodiest offseason in years. Houston Nutt and Arkansas have parted ways after the sides negotiated a buyout settlement of his contract. Nutt, 50, won't be out of work long. He reportedly is negotiating to become Mississippi's coach. Last week he had been mentioned in connection with the opening at Baylor.

Georgia Tech fired Chan Gailey after six seasons. Gailey, 55, was 44-32 at Tech, 28-20 in Atlantic Coast Conference games and 0-6 against Georgia.

Bill Doba, 67, is out at Washington State. He was 30-29 in five seasons after taking over for Mike Price, the current Texas El Paso coach who is expected to be at the top of the Cougars' list.

Duke fired Ted Roof, who was 6-45 in four-plus seasons. His winning percentage (.118) ranks as the lowest in the program's 87-year history.

In a controversial move, Southern Mississippi forced Jeff Bower, 54, to resign after a 119-82-1 record in 17 seasons. The Golden Eagles (7-5) clinched a 14th consecutive winning season with a 16-10 victory over Arkansas State on Saturday and received an invitation to the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham. It will be the team's ninth bowl trip in the last 10 years, but it wasn't enough to save Bower.

Nebraska has scheduled a meeting for players on Tuesday, but Tim Cassidy, the Cornhuskers' director of football operations, said don't read too much into it. Of interest is that a private airplane left Omaha for Atlanta on Monday morning — the second plane thought to be associated with Nebraska's search to land in Atlanta in two days.

This plane is owned by Howard Hawks, a Nebraska regent and substantial donor to the athletic program. On Sunday, a plane with Tom Osborne aboard left Lincoln and flew to Baton Rouge, where Bo Pelini was interviewed.

The plane carrying Osborne left Baton Rouge on Sunday night and landed in Atlanta, where Turner Gill was interviewed on Monday. Two other candidates are expected to be interviewed. One is thought to be Wake Forest's Jim Grobe. The other candidate is unknown.

New A&M Coach Caught Sleeping on the Job

That fella sleeping at the NFL scouting combine is Mike Sherman, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. Presumably he'll be awake Monday morning, because he's going to be introduced as Texas A&M's new coach.

We don't make this stuff up.

It's now clear why Auburn's Tommy Tuberville was saying last weekend that he wanted to stay at Auburn. He had no choice. A&M wasn't interested in paying a $6 million buyout clause in Tuberville's contract.

Sherman's ties to Texas A&M? He was an assistant with the Aggies, serving as the offensive line coach from 1989-93 and 1995-96 under R.C. Slocum. He went on to coach the Green Bay Packers and was fired in 2005 after a 4-12 season.

Reporters' Notebooks

Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star: Tom Osborne asked for and was granted permission to approach Buffalo coach Turner Gill about becoming Nebraska's next coach. Louisiana State athletic director Bo Pelini was interviewed Sunday in Baton Rouge.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: Washington State is expected to announce Monday whether it is hanging out the "help wanted" sign for a coach or sticking with Bill Doba.

Dave Curtis, Orlando Sentinel: The Southeastern Conference race reveals the flaws in the Bowl Championship Series system.

Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post: What a fabulous college football season. Too bad the BCS is about to ruin it.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: The prospect of a Cinderella BCS matchup between West Virginia and Missouri seems to have traditionalists aghast. They need to get over it.

Norman Chad: The BCS is a crock — who doesn't know that? Next.

Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle: Arkansas and Texas A&M are talking about playing in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.

Bob Thomas, Florida Times-Union: Florida State's Bobby Bowden says the Seminoles are lacking in talent.

Bryant-Jon Anteola, Fresno Bee: Is Fresno State back? The Bulldogs' confidence is soaring after a victory against Kansas State.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Mike Krzyzewski on Duke football: "For any sport, Duke should not play a sport where our goal is to be competitive. We shouldn't field a team for that. We should field teams only where our goal is to win and win with class and dignity. If it's just to be competitive, we shouldn't fund that program."

Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun: Baltimore, which plays host to Saturday's Army-Navy game, could be among 15 cities bidding to play host to future games between the teams.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Joe!

There's Only One Vili the Warrior

Honolulu station KHNL has a feature called job swap, where a member of the staff tries their hand at another job. Enter anchor Stephanie Lum, who goes through training with Hawaii's Vili the Warrior, the greatest college mascot in the land.

Police Dog Bites Auburn Player

A police dog tries to take a chunk out of Auburn defensive back Jerraud Powers during Saturday night's Iron Bowl game against Auburn. An close look below:

That Great Arkansas-LSU Game

Can't let the Arkansas-Louisiana State game — one of the best of the season — fade without three videos.

First we have the highlight package. Seriously, how great is Darren McFadden? He's clearly the best player in college football. Clearly. And he's about to get screwed out of the Heisman. We also have trouble understanding Granny Holtz on this video. Perhaps he didn't use enough PoliGrip.

Next we have an Arkansas fan who was being secretly taped. He gets so excited over the winning play that he faints, recovers, then runs out the front door and screams to all of Little Rock. Funny stuff and it comes with a language warning.

Next we have Houston Nutt and McFadden celebrating the victory. Nutt might not be the best guy around, but he knows how to use a great, great talent like McFadden. Arkansas fans, you'd be nuts to lose him.

Giving Him the Business

It's garbage time. Maryland leads North Carolina State, 37-0, and referee Ron Cherry calls a penalty on the Wolfpack's Kalani Heppe for giving a Terrapin player the business. Thanks to Aaron!

Snapshots From Week 13

A look back at the week that was from TV Tan Line. This man watches a lot of football. Check out his review of the week's games by clicking here.

How Newspapers Covered the Firings

It was a huge weekend of college football. How huge? We have so many newspaper front pages stacked up that we've decided to break the display into three parts. We start with coverage of three coaches who were fired: Bill Callahan of Nebraska, Dennis Franchione of Texas A&M and Madman Ed Orgeron of Mississippi. Click an image for a closer look and check back on Tuesday and Wednesday for other spectacular fronts.

Week 14

Isn't that interesting. Missouri, the new No. 1 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, is an underdog to Oklahoma, which is No. 9 in the BCS.

The Sooners are a 3.5-point favorite in Saturday's Big 12 title game at San Antonio. If the BCS was about getting the best teams in the title game, the Tigers should be favored on Saturday, correct?

Seriously, what does that say about the system we have in place?

There are 17 games to close the regular season, and the other key game on Saturday has West Virginia, No. 2 in the BCS, listed as a 28.5-point favorite over Pittsburgh at Morgantown. Get out the lighter fluid and ignite that couch!

On Thursday, Rutgers (+2.5) plays at Louisville and on Friday, Fresno State (-13) travels to New Mexico State.

Other featured games on Saturday: Army (+14) vs. Navy at Baltimore; UCLA (+19.5) at USC; California (-13) at Stanford; Arizona (+7) at Arizona State; Washington (+13.5) at Hawaii; Tulsa (+6.5) at Central Florida; Virginia Tech (-4.5) vs. Boston College at Jacksonville and Tennessee (+7.5) vs. Louisiana State at Atlanta.

For all the updated numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

Nebraska Dispatches Cessna to Baton Rouge

A private plane, a Cessna Citation CJ3 (twin-jet), left Lincoln Municipal Airport Sunday afternoon. It’s destination?

Baton Rouge, where Louisiana State defensive coordinator Bo Pelini resides.

"Are you kidding me?" said LSU athletic director Skip Bertman, who told the Lincoln Journal Star that nobody from Nebraska had contacted him to ask for permission to talk with Pelini.

“I don’t think Tom Osborne would do it any other way,” said Bertman, who added, "It's probably not absolutely, positively mandatory for an assistant. I don't suppose he felt he had to contact me, I guess."

Reporters' Notebooks

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow fractured a bone in his non-throwing right hand during the victory against Florida State.

Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Houston Nutt was fiery when asked about his job status. If he resigns, he would lose about $2.5 million in deferred money and a bonus, meaning a negotiated settlement is likely.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Colorado State is negotiating a departure deal with longtime coach Sonny Lubick.

Tony Phifer, Coloradoan: Ohio's Frank Solich and Buffalo's Turner Gill top the list of possible successors to Lubick.

John Miller, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: A look at the strongest candidates to replace Dennis Franchione at Texas A&M.

Scott Cacciola, Commercial Appeal: Could Franchione resurface at Mississippi, which fired Madman Ed Orgeron?

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Despite a 10-loss season, it appears Greg Robinson will return as Syracuse coach.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk says no decision has been made on whether Bill Doba will return as coach, but he did acknowledge that if a change is made, former Cougar coach Mike Price is a potential candidate.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Duke's Ted Roof expects to learn in the next two days if he'll be back to coach the Blue Devils.

Bill Reiter, Kansas City Star: The Missouri-Kansas game turned into a scalper's dream, with prices out of control.

Rob Moseley, Eugene Register-Guard: Two weeks ago, Oregon was No. 2 in Bowl Championship Series standings. Now the Ducks' hopes of participating in a BCS game are finished.

Darren Sabedra, San Jose Mercury News: Stanford's Jim Harbaugh blew off the media after his team lost to Notre Dame.

John Rohde, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's regular season ended like it began. The Cowboys got mashed up front by a more physical opponent.

Honolulu Advertiser: Boise State president Robert Kustra said the Broncos have a geographical attraction to the Mountain West Conference but, for the moment, are intent upon "improving the quality of the Western Athletic Conference."

Clark Spencer, Miami Herald: Florida International extended its nation's-longest losing streak to 23 consecutive games.

Columnists' Corner

Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press: If Les Miles loses the Southeastern Conference title game, he becomes the prototypical Michigan coaching candidate, having lost his last two games since the job became available. Sounds like a seamless transition from the Lloyd Carr era.

John Kaltefleiter, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia is the best team in the country right now. Forget Ohio State, West Virginia, USC, Louisiana State or any of the teams from the Big 12.

Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald: There was no need to prolong the agony, so it didn't. Miami completed the predictable ending to its tragedy, the only twist being the unexpected fight shown while falling to Boston College 28-14, and officially ending its season before the calendar even hits December.

Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal-World: We’ll never know which team would have won the 116th rendition of the Border War had it been played in Memorial Stadium, home field of Kansas. This much we do know: The more deserving team advanced to the Big 12 title game and kept its national-title hopes alive.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Remember how Alabama's Nick Saban got into a postgame conversation about identity — about his team not having established one yet? It has one now.

Martin Fennelly, Tampa Tribune: It will cost $118.83 to ship a 25-pound package overnight from New York City to Gainesville. Can we dispense with formalities? It's Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy.

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: It's not a glass ceiling that has hindered Kentucky football. It's a Rocky Top.

Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News: With Dennis Franchione gone, the most uncomfortable coach in Texas now resides in Austin.

BCS Guru: Missouri Is New No. 1

Missouri's 36-28 victory over Kansas will vault the Tigers to the top of the Bowl Championship Series standings, according to projections by the BCS Guru.

All the Tigers need to do to earn a berth to the BCS title game is beat Oklahoma in Saturday's Big 12 title game in San Antonio. The Tigers' only loss came to the Sooners, 41-31, on Oct. 13 in Norman.

West Virginia will be No. 2 when the official standings are announced Sunday. The Mountaineers need only a victory over a 4-7 Pittsburgh team in Morgantown. Needless to say, West Virginia will be favored by a bundle and is virtually assured a spot in the Jan. 7 title game in New Orleans.

If Missouri or West Virginia tumble, Ohio State figures to move into the title game. The Buckeyes, who have completed their regular season, are expected to be No. 3 in the rankings. As posted Friday night, a West Virginia-Ohio State title game is a strong possibility. Missouri likely will be a slight underdog against Oklahoma.

Now if Missouri and West Virginia lose, this is where it gets interesting. Kansas is expected to drop to No. 4, Georgia will be No. 5 and Louisiana State will fall to No. 6.

Completing the expected top 10: Virginia Tech (7th), USC (8th), Arizona State (9th) and Oklahoma (10th).

Of note to Hawaii fans: The Warriors are expected to be 13th, within a whisker of a guaranteed spot in a BCS game. But the Guru writes that "Illinois is lurking at No. 15, ready to invoke the new rule."

More Goodies From Deep South Sports

Deep South Sports is one of our favorite sites and here are two reasons why. Check out the Oklahoma State fans (above) during last week's game against Kansas.

Then there is this Alabama fan who happens to be missing his "Mike Shula Never Lost to a Sun Belt Team" T-shirt.
And while we're at it, let's not forget that Clemson and South Carolina square off on Saturday.
This is from that memorable 2004 game between the rivals, which happened to be Granny Holtz's last game as a coach.

A West Virginia-Ohio State Title Game?

West Virginia is all but guaranteed a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 7 in the Louisiana Superdome. All the Mountaineers need to do to secure a spot is win Saturday against Connecticut and Dec. 1 against Pittsburgh. Both games are in Morgantown.

If West Virginia blows either one of these games, it may never hear the end of it. The Mountaineers are 19-point favorites against the Huskies at the time of this post, and that number has been steadily climbing after Louisiana State's three-overtime loss to Arkansas.

Ohio State has a very real shot at playing in the title game, according to the BCS Guru. If the winner of the Missouri-Kansas game loses in the Big 12 title game, the Buckeyes are headed to New Orleans.

So is the BCS working, bringing us a matchup of the two best teams? The Guru says no:

"Can anyone really say that these are the best two teams in the country? Honestly? No. While they each have lost just one game so far, they also benefited from playing in the two weakest BCS conferences — neither the Big Ten nor the Big East currently have another team in the Top 15 of the BCS standings. And neither Ohio State nor West Virginia played a remotely challenging non-conference schedule."

Jenn Sterger Needs Your Attention

Two years ago, Jenn Sterger busted onto the scene when the Florida State student was spotted by an ABC cameraman attending a Seminole game. Lately, she has been spotted riding the South Florida bandwagon.

On Saturday, she will be in Gainesville for the Florida State-Florida game and has likely checked out camera positions and made sure she has informed CBS officials where she will be sitting.

The heck with the Bulls, who briefly rose to No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings. Sterger is all about the Seminoles — at least this weekend.

"We are very, very loyal," Sterger said. "We stick by our team. We have been through some tough times lately with all our coaching changes, but we still keep going. The way things have gone the past couple of years, I would love nothing more than to see us pull out a victory in The Swamp."

Sterger said she has nothing against Gator fans, saying "they're great" and that generally, they treat her well. But she adds, "I also think blood-alcohol content has something to do with the way people react to me."

The BCS Is Trying to Screw the WAC

Is the Bowl Championship Series out to get the Western Athletic Conference? That would appear to be the case. The commissioners of the six BCS conferences voted this week to expand the at-large pool of teams from their conferences from 14 to 18.

The decision, as explained by the BCS Guru, created yet another obstacle in Hawaii's quest to earn a berth to one of the BCS bowls.

Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier and WAC commissioner Karl Benson are taking the high road, but maybe they should be considering legal options.

Frazier said colleagues from non-BCS schools have warned him that the big conferences will do anything within their power to keep Hawaii out of a lucrative BCS game, even if the Warriors go 12-0.

Benson has hired a consultant to help get the message out about the conference, but if the Warriors finish the regular season 12-0 and don't get invited to the BCS party, expect the WAC to scream bloody murder.

Reporters' Notebooks

Zach West, Oklahoman: Oklahoma remains the team of choice among the estimated 300,000 Hispanics now living in the state.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Firing Greg Robinson could cost Syracuse roughly $3 million. That'll cover the buyout of his contract (two years left) plus severance pay for assistant coaches and various legal bills.

Tim Kawakami, San Jose Mercury News: Why he loves the BCS and why you should love it, too.

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: There were some truths concealed in a false rumor about Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe leaving to take over at Southern Methodist.

Robbi Pickeral, Raleigh News & Observer: Butch Davis, whose team is 3-8, got a one-year extension and a $291,000 raise. North Carolina officials said the new deal had nothing to do with rumors of Arkansas trying to lure Davis.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express News: Texas' Mack Brown used to be known as "Mack the Nice." No more.

Baylor and Singletary: What Happened?

The stunning news that Mike Singletary, left, will not be the next Baylor coach could mean that the Bears have already found their man.

Is that man Houston Nutt?

Message boards are ablaze with the juicy rumor that Nutt is headed to Waco, and the Arkansas coach will likely be asked about the possibility at some point Friday when his team finishes the regular season at No. 1 Louisiana State.

As for Singletary, the reports were that he told Baylor he was no longer interested. But Jerry Hill of the Waco Tribune-Herald, who broke the story earlier in the week that Singletary had met with Bear athletic director Ian McCaw, suggests otherwise.

An anonymous source close to the NFL Hall of Famer and San Francisco 49er assistant said the former Baylor linebacker never "took his name out of consideration."

Singletary reportedly said that "Baylor chose to go in another direction."

Other names being tossed about are Houston's Art Briles, Texas Christian's Gary Patterson, former Kansas and Minnesota coach Glen Mason and Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora.

USC's Thanksgiving Feast

The team that everybody forgot about might now be the best team in the land. USC steamrolled its way through Arizona State in a dominating 44-24 victory Thursday night in Tempe, and given the lack of a clear-cut super team in 2007, the Trojans have to enter the discussion.

Simply put, this is not a team to be trifled with.

We're happy to display the outstanding photography of Image of Sport, a one-stop sports photography wire service and digital archive to meet the demands of daily newspapers and editorial publications. Be sure to check the Image of Sport Gallery.

Little Richard performed at halftime and the Sun Devil dance team was strutting its stuff.
Dennis Erickson said of the Trojans: "Watching them play live, they're one of the best teams in the country. We happened to catch them when they played like one of the best teams in the country. All the credit goes to them. We didn't play good; they did." Quarterback Rudy Carpenter was bloodied up in the second half.
In honor of Thanksgiving, a turkey leg adorned the pitchfork of Sun Devil logo at midfield.
Among the celebrities in attendance: Sir Charles Barkley, a resident of the Valley of the Sun, and Aaron Boone, a former Trojan who spent last season with the Florida Marlins.

Game of the Week

This rivalry has roots predating the Civil War and a coach and a quarterback who can pick their noses with the best of them. Yes, it's Kansas and Missouri and it's our Game of the Week.

Now we don't mean to pick on Mark Mangino, top, or Chase Daniel, below, but these guys clearly display unique techniques when digging for gold.

But back to the game. Not much was made of the decision in January to move it from Lawrence to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Money, of course, was the reason and if Kansas gets beat on Saturday, the person responsible for this might want to consider a career other than athletic department management.

Consider what Kansas did: It signed off on a home-field advantage for the biggest game in the history of Jayhawk football. If it loses, the extra money made by the move to Arrowhead will look like pocket change compared to the prestige Kansas could have had by playing in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Enough of our yakkin'. Let's get to our expert bloggers to break it down. We welcome Cory of the Kansas fan site Rock Chalk Talk and Seth of the Missouri fan site Rock M Nation. First let's hear from Cory:

"Saturday's game between No. 2 Kansas and No. 4 Missouri is the biggest in the history of the Border War rivalry, a rivalry that has lasted much longer than the 102 years of football played between the teams. Not only is this the biggest game in the history of the rivalry, but the biggest game of the season in college football. Big, big, big.

"The outcome will come down to two undersized players. Both quarterbacks grew up in Texas, setting their sights on playing for the state-favorite Longhorns, or at least the Texas A&M Aggies. Both were told they were too small and not talented enough to play big-time football. Kansas' Todd Reesing, barely 5 foot 9, and Chase Daniel, maybe six feet, are now on Heisman lists and leading their teams worlds beyond those of Texas and Texas A&M.

"This game — the biggest of the season in college football, the biggest in the history of this rivalry — will come down to two undersized quarterbacks. Irony."

We turn it over to Seth for the Missouri rebuttal:

"The game of the season (to this point, at least) is the game of forever in this rivalry. And this is the nastiest rivalry you have ever seen.

"For Mizzou to be successful against Kansas, it must stay in a comfort zone and eliminate mistakes, something the Tigers have struggled to do in the past couple of weeks. Similar mistakes against Kansas will be difficult to overcome because of the Jayhawks' ability to run the ball and control the clock.

"Which brings me to my last point — the crowd. A crowd that will be somewhat split puts added importance on creating and maintaining momentum. The team not playing over their heads and within their game plan will win, and I believe Mizzou has been tested more this season and has proven to be able to respond to adversity. The Tigers take the game and the Big XII North, 34-28."

Crystal Ball

Double D, Boston Herald: Kansas has won its last three games by a combined 164-74. This looks to be a team of destiny, and Missouri is not about to stop the Mighty Manginos.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: If you can't give Notre Dame a game, how is Duke going to give one to a juggernaut like North Carolina? Take the Tar Heels and lay the points.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky is way past due against Tennessee, which is an awful road team. Wildcats 34, Volunteers 27.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Texas needs a win at Texas A&M and a little help from Oklahoma State to get into the Big 12 title game. Will the Longhorns cover the number at College Station?

National Championship Issue: Not everybody is riding the Boise State bandwagon. He's taking Hawaii to win by seven.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Has UCLA quit on Karl Dorrell? Sure looks like it, and that means take Oregon and lay the points.

Phil Steele: His top 25 forecast: He's taking Texas to edge Texas A&M, 31-30, and Alabama to defeat Auburn, 20-17.

New York Post: Saturday's heroes tackle the spread.

If you are reading this on an aggregator site that is not giving credit to The Wiz of Odds, please email us at dawizofodds (at) aol.com to report the abuse.

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

The 2007 Turkey Awards

We pause for the cause on this gastric holiday with a look at the Turkeys of 2007:

Crewcut Charlie Weis

He lost the Sugar Bowl, he lost the trial, he lost to Navy, then he lost his team. The only thing he didn't lose was weight.

Razorback Nation

Coach Nutt, we was looking at these here cell phone records and wanted to ask y'all about them there text messages to that there TV reporter....

Mike Gundy

First you make a fool of yourself in a press conference, then you have to watch a local car dealer make fun of you.

Rob Stone

He bit off more than he could chew — twice — by chomping on Bhut Jolokia, the world's hottest chili pepper.

Granny Holtz

Pick Notre Dame again, you fool!

Erin Andrews

Because you can't have turkey without dressing.

Randy Shannon

Not only does your team fail to score in front of dozens of former players, some wearing national championship and Super Bowl rings, it gives up 48 to Virginia in Miami's final game in the historic Orange Bowl.

Tim Brewster

No jug, no pig, no bell and no axe. In one incredible season, he sucked any remaining life out of Minnesota football. He arrived talking Rose Bowl and guided the Golden Gophers to the toilet bowl, finishing 1-11, including a home loss to North Dakota State. Minnesota's new stadium is scheduled to open for the 2009 season. Brewster has a 50-50 chance to coach a game in it.

Jesse Palmer

For being Jesse Palmer. Any questions?

Dennis Franchione

Couldn't scratch out a living on a yearly salary of $2 million, so he charged select boosters $1,200 apiece for a crummy newsletter.

Mike Leach

Certifiably nuts and the Big 12 has the checks to prove it. This two-part rant after the loss to Texas cost him $10,000.

Earlier, he went looney after a 49-45 loss to Oklahoma State, which led to the firing of defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich.

Nick Saban

"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event." Like a loss to Louisiana Monroe?

Mark Dantonio

After another Sparty collapse, Michigan's "Little Brother" says "Pride comes before the fall." Unfortunately, the laughter comes before any of this.

Joe Paterno

Because there's nothing you want more than having your 80-year-old coach running around campus playing traffic cop.

Thanks to Mr. Irrelevant for planting the idea, Tiger Droppings for some of the images and the Midwest Correspondent, BCS Guru, TV Tan Line, Erratic Magic and American Idol and Stars for help putting the list together.

Fat City: Part One

Who says Notre Dame doesn't have the money to buy out the remainder of Crewcut Charlie Weis' contract? Michael Rothstein of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has the scoop on Forbes' list of the most valuable college football teams.

The winner is Notre Dame, worth an estimated $101 million. If our math is correct that works out to roughly $50.5 million a victory in 2007. ...

Notre Dame's $9 million lead over Texas ($92 million) comes from its $9 million contract with NBC, according to Forbes.

Next on the list: Georgia ($90 mil), Michigan ($85 mil) and Florida ($84 mil). Twenty teams are ranked, so check it out.

Fat City: Part Two

Donald Trump sent a letter to Donna Shalala this week to tell the Miami president that she royally screwed up by hiring Randy Shannon.

In the letter, Trump reminds Shalala that he recommended Miami hire Mike Leach of Texas Tech. Leach met informally with the search committee last December, but the meeting did not go well, according to Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post.

While Miami was getting hammered last Saturday by Virginia Tech, Texas Tech was upsetting Oklahoma.

In his letter to Shalala, Trump wrote: "You are my friend, but you should have listened to me. If you did, your team would be fighting for the National Championship."

The letter was confirmed by Rhona Graff, a Trump assistant.

"I got the letter and I laughed," Shalala said through a university spokesman.

Fat City: Part Three

Who is the big guy behind the sunglasses? Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star tells us all about Mark Mangino. As you can imagine, it's a large and lenghty story, but we'll do our best to capsulize.

Mangino dropped out of college, drove an ambulance around Pennsylvania and — in his late 20s — went back to school. He coached at the high school for one season and his team finished 1-9.

Clearly, it was time for Plan B: Mangino packed his family and $500 into a Ryder truck and drove west to become and unpaid graduate assistant coach for the worst program in college football. He was 35, married with two kids, and they all lived in the basement of a friend’s house for six weeks and — not surprisingly — ate pizza most nights because they had coupons.

Today he has the Kansas Jayhawks at 11-0 and No. 2 in a Bowl Championship Series standings.

Seriously, what's not to like about the big guy.

If Georgia Players Could Vote for Heisman

While Tim Tebow appears to be the last man standing in the Heisman chase, he isn't receiving any support from Georgia players.

Bulldog quarterback Matthew Stafford said he would give a vote to Oregon's Dennis Dixon if he wasn't injured. "No one else. I can't think of anybody," Stafford told Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.

When pressed for another candidate, Stafford said: "We'll say Darren McFadden. He's been doing it for a long time and he deserves it."

Tailback Knowshon Moreno also went with McFadden, as did linebacker Rennie Curran, who said: "I know I wouldn't vote Tebow because he didn't have too much of a good game against us. That knocks him out. McFadden, he's all right. I think we'd destroy him, too."

Georgia sacked Tebow six times in its 42-30 victory on Oct. 27 in Jacksonville.

Wealth Management

The bulldozer arrived on the scene Tuesday, marking the end to a year-long legal battle over the right of Oklahoma State to seize a tiny ranch house through eminent domain. The home was the final piece of property needed for T. Boone Pickens' $316 million athletic village.

The home, owned by Kevin and Joel McCloskey, came down in about 10 minutes. Neither the brothers or their lawyer, Harlan Hentges, was present when the structure was destroyed.

"They didn't bother to call us until it was down," Hentges told the Tulsa Tribune. Notification came from a fax Hentges received from an Oklahoma State lawyer that said, "The house at 616 W. Connell was taken down earlier this afternoon."

The McCloskeys plan to continue their fight and plan to appeal their case to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The athletic village is expected to take seven years to complete with Pickens' donations and investments funding the project.

Reporters' Notebooks

Kirk Bohls and Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American Statesman: Southern Methodist has approached Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis about becoming the Mustangs' next coach.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Michigan's national search for a coach will start at home, with offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and defensive coordinator Ron English expected to be interviewed.

Associated Press: This Bowl Championship Series stuff, they just kind of make it up as they go along, announcing yet another tweak to the system.

Tony Phifer, Coloradoan: Sonny Lubick has made it clear: He wants to return as Colorado State's coach.

Brandon George, Dallas Morning News: Oklahoma says it has the horses to replace the current Boomer and Sooner, the ponies that pull the Schooner onto the field.

Luciana Chavez, Raleigh News & Observer: Duke's Ted Roof predicted before this season that this would be his finest Blue Devil team. But with Duke at 1-10, will he be back in 2008? "Nobody has told me any different," he said.

Emilie Lounsberry, Philadelphia Inquirer: After a five-year legal battle, the public finally may learn what Joe Paterno is paid to coach the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Jason Sipes, Altoona Mirror: A photojournalist explains why he took a shot of a fallen Joe Paterno at Michigan State. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida could be headed to that West Texas Town of El Paso and a date in the Sun Bowl.

Brent Zwerneman, San Antonio Express-News: When Texas A&M goes looking for a coach, Boise State's Chris Petersen should be at the top of the list. For starters, Peterson has done something Dennis Franchione never did at A&M: beat Oklahoma.

Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle: Buyouts can be tricky — and expensive. Parting ways with a coach usually involves raising money from outside sources.

Mark Berman, Roanoke Times: It looks like Virginia Tech and Virginia can count on going to Miami, Atlanta, Jacksonville or Orlando for a bowl game.

Kyle Nagel, Cox News Service: The Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable are now battling about whether they're actually negotiating.

Lafayette Journal and Courier: Purdue receiver Selwyn Lymon has been dismissed from the team for conduct detrimental to the squad. Thanks to Mike!

Scott Dochterman, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Governor Chet Culver joined the state's Board of Regents in urging the University of Iowa to follow correct protocol in how it investigates an alleged sexual assault that possibly involved three members of the football team.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Ken!

Introducing the Bellotti Potty

Oregon State and Oregon don't play until Dec. 1, but preparations are well underway for the Civil War game. Take a look at the Bellotti Potty, spotted on the Beavers Blog of Tim Brown of the Oregonian.

Sign of the Times

In case you missed it in our Reporters' Notebook for Monday, 20 Mississippi players who stole radios and pillows valued between $15 to $40 from hotels were "disciplined" by the school. Thus we bring you this image from the blog of Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger, taken Monday of a nearby Holiday Inn Express.

Crunch Time

Washington defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim puts the hammer down on California running back Justin Forsett during the Huskies' 37-23 victory at Husky Stadium.

The Mad Hatter

Yes, that's Mike Leach running off the field Saturday night wearing a cowboy hat after Texas Tech's victory over Oklahoma. Somebody put the hat on his head (video link) as he left the field. "It's really a nice hat so if anybody is looking for a hat, wants their hat back, it's going to be at the football office," he said.

As for Leach's $10,000 fine for criticizing officials after a Nov. 10 loss at Texas, five Texas Tech graduates have started a fundraising campaign to pay it off.

Thanks to Aaron!

Is It Time, Joe?

This is not the first time a photo of Joe Paterno taking a spill or video of the Penn State coach getting seriously hurt on the field has been posted on the site. And it's not the first time the site has expressed a concern for Joe Paterno. He took another fall Saturday at the Penn State-Michigan State game. Pilfered from The World of Isaac.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw flew to California on Monday to interview San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary the day after firing Guy Morriss, according to a source.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Remember Connecticut's Larry Taylor, who pulled off the fair catch/punt return for a touchdown (video) against Louisville? He tried to pull the same trick against Syracuse.

Mark Fagan, Lawrence Journal-World: If you would have bet $100 on Kansas at the beginning of the season and let it ride, you’d have $102,400 to wager on this weekend’s Missouri game, with a shot at much, much more.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Washington's Tyrone Willingham wasn't saying much about Saturday's game against Washington State, but Husky defensive tackle Jordan Reffett, who is married and has a kid, was talking: "I plan to have more kids, and none of my kids will be at WSU. I want them to have a job someday."

Jack Corcoran, Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes: "We're going to have the attitude that Tim Tebow is going to go down this week. That's what we're going to say; Tim Tebow is going down this week. Ya'll put that down."

Mark Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Vanderbilt kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt's 49-yard missed field goal against Tennessee in the final minute last Saturday could keep Georgia's assistant coaches from collecting a total of nearly $100,000 in bonuses.

Ian Rapoport, Birmingham News: The way coach Nick Saban sees, his Alabama team is divided into two factions: The players who care and the players who don't. "And the ones that don't care, they shouldn't be here," Saban said.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Saban on back-to-back losses to Mississippi State and Louisiana Monroe: "Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event. It may be 9/11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to a catastrophic event. Pearl Harbor got us ready for World War II or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event."

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times: He also takes exception to Saban's comments: "I guess I'm more acutely aware of it since my wife, Patricia, just returned from a two-week assignment in Iraq for this paper. And because I buried my World War II veteran father last spring in a military cemetary where thousands of heroic, unselfish men and women have been laid to rest."

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: The loss to Monroe shouldn't bother Alabama fans so much. Instead, it should be the fact that Saban seemingly sold out his principles by letting DJ Hall come back in the second half to try and reverse the scoreboard.

Rob Keys, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: There he was, alone on the press box elevator, checking a text message on his cell phone when Houston Nutt, the beleaguered Arkansas coach and most infamous texter in the state, stepped on board. How great is that?

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech looks to be headed to the Gator Bowl.

Pete Thamel, New York Times: Now that Lloyd Carr has decided to call it quits at Michigan, what will the Wolverines do?

Ron Maly: The only reason Kirk Ferentz's name is being mentioned in connection with Lloyd Carr's old job is that Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman once had the same job at Iowa. Hey, when was the last time a school president had any influence in who is named the football coach at her school?

Lafayette Journal and Courier: Purdue receiver Selwyn Lymon is accused of driving drunk and fleeing from police who responded to a domestic disturbance complaint at his West Lafayette apartment last weekend.

Charley Walters, St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said he "understands" the football team's 1-11 record under first-year coach Tim Brewster. But what if Minnesota finishes 1-11 again next season? "Then you and I probably would have a different conversation," Maturi said.

Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star: An Indiana state representative said that he'll introduce legislation to mandate arbitration between cable television and channels such as the Big Ten Network and if federal regulators don't intervene.

Robbi Pickeral, ACC Now: North Carolina's Butch Davis wants Kenan Stadium expanded by 8,000-10,000 seats.

Frank Dascenzo, Durham Herald-Sun: The good news is that the college football season is nearly over around here.

The Ultimate Embarrassment for Alabama

Much has been made of Nick Saban's contract, which at $4 million a year, makes him the highest-paid coach in Division I-A.

Turns out his Alabama team just lost to Louisiana Monroe's Charlie Weatherbie, right, who is the lowest-paid coach in I-A. Weatherbie's salary is $130,000 a year. That's mere pocket change to Saban.

How desperate did Saban get during Saturday's 21-14 loss? The site From The Bleachers also reports that Saban started standout receiver DJ Hall in the second half after it was earlier announced that Hall would be suspended for the game because of a violation of team policy.

Muck Fishigan

The guess is that this is a group of Ohio State students getting ready to jump into Mirror Lake last Thursday, a Columbus tradition before the Buckeyes play Michigan. That seems to be the conclusion reached by Mr. Irrelevant, which is where we found this video.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: We can't even begin to explain the tie-breaking formula in the Big 12 South, but Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State — by the slimmest of margins — are still alive.

Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Dept. of Facts: Penn State continues to be a second-tier Big Ten program, with a 32-32 record in conference play since the 2000 season. Only once in the past decade have the Nittany Lions finished higher than fourth in the Big Ten standings.

Robbi Pickeral, ACC Now: Dept. of Leverage: First-year North Carolina coach Butch Davis, whose name has been associated with the possible opening at Arkansas, would not comment Sunday on whether he wants a contract extension, or is negotiating one with the Tar Heels.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: In the last two weeks, Nick Saban may have done more than lose two games he was expected to win. Alabama's coach may have lost his team.

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: The limited television exposure given to Florida's game against Florida Atlantic may have helped Tim Tebow's Heisman campaign. Even Gator coach Urban Meyer called the game "not Tim’s best."

David Brandt, Clarion Ledger: This from Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron's team: Twenty Rebel players are on probation for twice stealing pillows and radios from team hotels. About 25% of the roster has been hit with some sort of punishment during the current season.

Brian Dohn, L.A. Daily News: The Pacific 10 will not be able to fill its allotment of bowl tie-ins unless UCLA or Arizona can win another game.

Bruins Nation: It's clear reporters and columnists are now playing the race card in defending UCLA's Karl Dorrell.

Larry Brown Sports: Arizona State officials will not allow turkey fryers for tailgaters cooking Thanksgiving dinner in the parking lot of Sun Devil Stadium. Officials are worried about the dangers involved with vats of hot grease.

Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer: Although there is nearly universal conviction that the coach doesn't make any difference at Duke, it's time to dump Ted Roof.

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: Miami's Randy Shannon, whose team has been outscored, 92-14, the past two weeks, acknowledged the learning curve as a rookie head coach has been ''steeper'' than expected.

Pat Harty, Iowa City Press-Citizen: How can Iowa and its $3-million-a-year coach, Kirk Ferentz, field a team that was physically overmatched against a 3-7 team from the Mid-American Conference that had nothing to play for?

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: Although Mike Singletary is the top choice for the Baylor job, his lack of experience is a concern for some. Arkansas' Houston Nutt, Houston's Art Briles and Texas Christian's Gary Patterson also are being mentioned.

Craig Smith and Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: It appears Bill Doba's coaching future at Washington State rides on Saturday's Apple Cup game against Washington.

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Expect Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher's name to be brought up if Auburn or Louisiana State have to go looking for a head coach.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link.

Snapshots From Week 12

A look back at the week that was from TV Tan Line. Check out Tan Line's review of the week's games.

Fight Song? What Fight Song?

According to a story in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Texas Tech students are behaving badly during games, singing an altered version of the school's fight song that contains the F-word. At times this has been loud enough to — gasp — be heard on national TV.

Now you wouldn't get that feeling from watching this video, where students claim (wink, wink) they don't know the words to the fight song. But we know better. Just like a villainous pro wrestler who clocks his opponent over the head with a steel chair when the referee has his back turned, they are quick to deny any involvement in such a heinous crime.

Nike Takes One on the Chin

Because nobody from Oregon will be visiting this corner of cyberspace now that the Ducks' season ended in Tucson and the fact that this site remains blocked in China, we bring you the following news:

Nike is recalling 235,000 football helmet chin straps, made in China, of course, which can break and cause serious injury.

If you want to know what this banned in China crap is all about, go to the Great Firewall of China, or check our previous post on this. Free Internet for all!

Week 13

Games on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Let's get right to it.

Tuesday: Troy plays host to Middle Tennessee State in an ESPN2 game. The Trojans need to victories against the Blue Raiders and Florida Atlantic on Dec. 1 to win their second consecutive Sun Belt title. Troy is an 11.5-point favorite.

Thursday: USC and Arizona State celebrate Thanksgiving in Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils are No. 6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and need to close with victories over the Trojans and Arizona to keep their title hopes alive. Little Richard is scheduled to perform at halftime and the Trojans are three-point favorites.

Friday: Let's start with the biggie: Louisiana State is a 12.5 favorite over Arkansas at Tiger Stadium. The other featured game of the day has Hawaii listed as a four-point pick over Boise State at Aloha Stadium. Three other games of note: Nebraska (+5.5) at Colorado; Mississippi (+6.5) at Mississippi State and Texas (-5.5) at Texas A&M.

Saturday: The game of the year in the Big 12 has Kansas (-2) as a slight favorite over Missouri at Kansas City. The winner of the Connecticut-West Virginia game likely wins the Big East and the Mountaineers are 17.5 favorites in Morgantown.

Other games of note: Clemson (-3) at South Carolina; Tennessee (+3) at Kentucky; Utah (+4.5) at Brigham Young; Alabama (+6) at Auburn; Georgia (-3.5) at Georgia Tech; Florida State (+13.5) at Florida; Oklahoma State (+12.5) at Oklahoma; Virginia Tech (-3.5) at Virginia and Notre Dame (+3.5) at Stanford.

For all the updated numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor has started a "national search" to replace the fired Guy Morriss. Speculation centers on Mike Singletary getting the job.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Lloyd Carr, 62, made it official. He is retiring after the Wolverines' bowl game.

John Rohde, Oklahoman: With a resume like this, Oklahoma has no business being anywhere near Louisiana during bowl season. Well, Shreveport maybe, but not Nawlins.

Jenni Carlson, Oklahoman: Classless act candidate: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy sent out his offensive starters with his team leading Baylor by 31 with five minutes remaining.

Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Arkansas' Houston Nutt denied media reports that he will not return for an 11th season and criticized what he termed “foolish” rumors after the Razorbacks’ 45-31 victory over Mississippi State.

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Washington State drew more students to its basketball game Friday night than Saturday's football game against Oregon State.

Tom Wyrwich, Seattle Times: Last month, California was within a whisker of being the nation's No. 1 team. Now it has lose five of six.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Construction of Clemson's first Atlantic Coast Conference title since 1991 has been delayed for another year.

Mark Berman, Roanoke Times: Miami is looking quite ordinary these days. "We've got good athletes all over. ... Certain people [are] not doing their jobs," Hurricane receiver Sam Shields said.

David Climer, Tennessean: Tennessee might look back on a roughing the kicker penalty as the biggest play in its season.

Rusty Hampton, Shreveport Times: Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron made a curious quarterback decision in the Rebels' loss to No. 1 Louisiana State.

Mike Sorensen, Deseret Morning News: Utah's victory over New Mexico has all but assured the Utes a spot in the Poinsettia Bowl opposite Navy.

Jack Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl wants Air Force.

Idaho Statesman: Idaho coach Robb Akey on his calling Boise State Broncos "donkeys" before Saturday's 58-14 loss. "Get over it ... It's college football."

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: You want bad football? Get your hands on the tape of Iowa's loss to Western Michigan.

Tom Witosky and Erin Jordan, Des Moines Register: Regents president Michael Gartner is demanding answers over Iowa's handling of allegations of the sexual assault of a female student by three football players and whether university policies are adequate or were being followed.

Tom Powers, St. Paul Pioneer Press: They have no jug, no pig, no bell and no axe. But the good news is that with all that extra room in the football building, maybe Minnesota can add a few plastic palm trees and a rose-covered trellis. You know, to help them get acclimated for when it finally makes that trip to Pasadena.

Terry Feinberg, Las Cruces Sun-News: Utah State ended its 16-game losing streak — second longest in Division I-A — with a 28-17 victory at New Mexico State.

Pete Pelegrin, Miami Herald: Florida International scored a season-high 28 points, but could not overcome untimely penalties and was dealt its 22nd consecutive loss, longest skid in the land.

The Printed Word

Our look at how this past weekend's games were played on front pages of newspapers. The lone exception is the sports front of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Click an image for a closer look:

The $4 Million Apology

So Alabama, how do you feel now? Your state ranks 47th in education and not much better in football, despite spending $4 million on a coach, Nick Saban, who tries to explain how his team lost to Louisiana Monroe, 21-14.

And this isn't a particularly good Monroe team, entering Saturday's game with a 4-6 record that included a loss to North Texas, which — for the record — has only one victory. Cosmetically speaking, not good. Not good at all.

All that was left for Saban, in a defensive posture with his arms folded, was comparing this embarrassing loss to one he suffered at Louisiana State.

Michigan's Offense on Saturday

The Wolverines totaled only 91 yards in a 14-3 loss to Ohio State, the first time Michigan failed to reach 100 yards since 1962. Thanks to gang at Fark.

Sooner Loss Good for Mountaineers

The big loser on Saturday was Oklahoma, falling 34-27 at Texas Tech. As a result, the big winner in the Bowl Championship Series standings appears to be West Virginia, which held off Cincinnati, 28-23.

The BCS Guru projects West Virginia will move up to No. 3 in the BCS when the official standings are announced Sunday. Louisiana State is steady at No. 1, with Kansas moving up to No. 2. Then come the Mountaineers, followed by Missouri.

Who says we don't have a playoff in college football? The Jayhawks and Tigers play Saturday in Kansas City in what will be an national championship elimination game.

Ohio State is expected to move up to No. 5, followed by Arizona State, which plays host to USC on Thursday night. At this point it's a six-team race.

The key to West Virginia's move — the Mountaineers were No. 6 entering this week's round of games — will be computer points, according to the Guru. And he adds: "Don't count out Ohio State, they are far from out of it at this point."

Columnist Starts Site to Defend Dorrell

Los Angeles Times columnist Kurt Streeter thinks that if UCLA fires Karl Dorrell, it's making a big mistake. And he has started a website stop the maddening crowd demanding that the school cut Dorrell loose. His site: Don't Dump Dorrell.

Streeter says his site "is a forum for discussion about the embattled coach. I'll post this column and respond to your reasoned arguments until we know his fate. I hope my final post will be hearty congratulations to the administration at UCLA for finding their coach of the future — the guy they have right now."

Thanks to Image of Sport.

How About a Threesome?

If you like the Wiz, be sure to check out our sister sites:
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Check out News Wired, with RSS feeds for 120 teams. This site will keep you up to date on your team year round.
Our Resources page, with all the links needed to satisfy your football craving.

These pages are also linked at the top of the second column here on the Wiz main page, under Links.

Hawaii's Dramatic Victory

To hell with NCAA sanctions. Should Hawaii end up in a Bowl Championship Game, it should cut Dan Kelly a check. The Warrior kicker nailed a 45-yard field goal with 11.7 seconds left Friday night — after two timeouts by Nevada coach Chris Ault — giving Hawaii a 28-26 victory over the Wolf Pack at Reno.

Had Kelly missed, Hawaii would have been eliminated from BCS consideration. Instead it remains one of two undefeated teams (Kansas being the other) in Division I-A.

Adding to the drama: Colt Brennan was in for only two plays after suffering a concussion last Saturday.

But Brennan will be back Friday when Hawaii plays host to Boise State in a game that likely will decide a berth to a BCS bowl.

Thanks to The Warriors Will Throw and UH Bows.

Dixon Played With Torn Ligament in Knee

Incredible story here. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee nearly two weeks ago against Arizona State, but asked officials to keep the injury quiet because he wanted to continue to play on it.

Dixon, a senior, is now headed for surgery after reinjuring the knee Thursday night in the 34-24 loss at Arizona, dashing the Ducks' hopes for a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game and ending Dixon's hopes for the Heisman Trophy.

Reporters' Notebooks

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: Neal McCready, the host of a drive-time, Mobile-area radio show on WNSP, was unceremoniously fired because he "wasn't pro-Alabama enough."

David Wharton, Los Angeles Times: Despite Notre Dame's 1-9 record, fans have been more patient than Crewcut Charlie Weis expected.

Sean Keeler, Des Moines Register: The current odds that an Iowa player will run afoul of the law are about 10-1. To put that number in perspective, the chances of a Hawkeye getting hemorrhoids is about 25-1.

Bart Wright, Greenville News: A victory over Boston College on Saturday night will likely force Clemson to rewrite agreements it has in effect with coach Tommy Bowden and his staff.

Jennifer Floyd Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: A season that began with Appalachian State winning at Michigan is destined to end in mass chaos as well.

Dave Curtis, Orlando Sentinel: Ron Zook coaching against his former team? Florida and Illinois could be headed for a matchup in the Capital One or Outback Bowl.

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: Can't help but ask: What if Florida didn't fire Zook?

Richard Sandomir, New York Times: Two distant cousins of George Gipp filed suit against his great-nephew, ESPN, a biographer of Gipp’s and several others over the exhumation last month of the remains of Gipp, the Notre Dame halfback who died in December 1920.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: The family of Phil Bennett, who has been fired as Southern Methodist coach, remains grounded in tumultuous times.

Pete Bosak, Centre Daily Times: Penn State starting defensive tackle Chris Baker and teammate Navorro Bowman were charged with felony aggravated assault after police said they "brutally attacked" a person at the HUB-Robeson Center last month.

Lindsey Willhite, Arlington Heights Daily Herald: Illinois and Ohio State were each fined $10,000 by the Big Ten for the skirmish at midfield after last week's game in Columbus. It's the second time the Fighting Illini have been fined in 14 months.

Brad Rock, Deseret Morning News: For those willing to defend Utah State coach Brent Guy's 4-29 record, there's always the argument that if he's fired, the Aggies will have to start over again. Start over from what? They're already the worst team in America.

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: Incentive? It's in the contracts. Missouri's Gary Pinkel and Kansas' Mark Mangino would earn an extra $50,000 for winning a Big 12 championship.

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: Is San Diego State improved? The final three games will tell the story.

Shannon J. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: Rosters at historically black colleges and universities are more than 80% African-American, but the kickers rarely are.

Duck Season Comes to an End

First the bad news: It's over Oregon. You're not going to play in the Bowl Championship Series title game. And Dennis Dixon? He's not going to win the Heisman. All that ended on one play with 6:01 left in the first quarter of a 34-24 loss to Arizona on Thursday night.

But now the good news. Even though the rival Wildcats won, they are very, very excited in Tempe, home of Arizona State. How excited? Take a look:
Oregon's loss put Arizona State in control of its destiny, meaning if the Sun Devils beat USC next Thursday and Arizona on Dec. 1 (both games are in Tempe), they'll play in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon's loss and coming drop from No. 2 in the BCS standings made a winner of the Big 12. The league is in prime position to have a team in the title game because Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri are Nos. 3-5 in the BCS standings and figure to move up with victories on Saturday.
Oregon's loss also impacts several other teams, and our man the BCS Guru has all the possibilities.

Thanks to TV Tan Line.

Cosmetically Speaking ...

Did Nick Saban find the Fountain of Youth, or did something else happen in the past few years that have — shall we say — enhanced the youthful look of the 56-year-old Alabama coach?

They've been comparing these images over at Losers With Socks. The image on the left is of Saban at his introductory press conference in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 4, 2007. The image on the right is from his days as the head coach at Michigan State, where he served from 1995-99.

In the interest of fairness, we nabbed Losers With Socks committing a slight of hand last month, but the gang insists they haven't touched either of these images.

Game of the Week

It's a matchup of the best teams from this season's worst conference. We're talking Ohio State and Michigan and strangeness always seems to follow. Some examples:

—In 2004, the Wolverines were subjected to drug and bomb-sniffing dogs upon their arrival at Ohio Stadium.

—In 2002, the Buckeyes intercepted a pass near the goal line on the final play to secure a 14-9 victory. Ohio State fans went nuts and stormed the field, with police using pepper spray to keep the crowd away from the goalposts.

—In 1968, Woody Hayes elected to go for two with his Buckeyes clinging to a 50-14 lead.

You get the idea. Now throw in the likelihood that this is Lloyd Carr's final game as Michigan coach in the Big House and anything can happen. That's more than enough to make it our Game of the Week.

We've invited two of the best bloggers around to break it down: Jason of Eleven Warriors, representing the visiting Buckeyes, and Brian of M Go Blog, representing the Wolverines.

Let's get the Ohio State perspective from Jason:
"There are so many reasons to like the Buckeyes. They have better personnel and Tressel, quite simply, owns Carr and the Wolverines. Homerism be damned, but Ohio State soundly defeated every opponent it faced but one and I still like its chances against any team.

“You can cry about the Buckeyes’ schedule, but it's only one year. Last season they finished a home-and-home with Texas, next season they begin another one with USC. The Miami Hurricanes are on the schedule in 2010.

“Last week, Ohio State slipped when it lost the turnover battle, 3-0, couldn't catch a break and still nearly beat a good Illinois team playing a perfect game. There's a lot to like about this squad.

“Still, something is spooking me about Saturday — the Carr rumors, the game is in Ann Arbor, the fact that Michigan will eventually beat the Buckeyes again. It's the first game all season I've legitimately been worried about.

“Ohio State has to come out and play its best, but be sure the Vest will have something special ready for the Wolverines. And you have to like the fact that the guys will be coming in angry.

“A hobbled Hart and Henne never hurts your cause either.”

A vote of confidence for the Buckeyes. Let's get the Wolverine perspective from Brian:
"There are at least two matchups in this game Ohio State figures to dominate: terror defensive end Vernon Gholston versus freshman right tackle Steve Schilling, who has regularly struggled in pass protection, and terror bowling ball running back Chris Wells versus freshman middle linebacker Obi Ezeh, who's just struggled period.

"Maybe Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington can offset that. Maybe Mike Hart can work some magic. Maybe Chad Henne will continue his quietly brilliant performances against Ohio State. But Hart's just as likely to limp off the field after six carries as blow up for 200 yards and Henne's shoulder won't be fully healed on Saturday. Heroic fireworks from senior heroes are unlikely.

"It's not like Michigan can't win this game, but they probably won't unless Todd Boeckman gives it away; to do that they'll have to make him throw. I don't see that happening. Ohio State 28, Michigan 20."

Crystal Ball

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Coming off a 4-3 week, which is good enough if you want to eat. OK, you'll only afford cheeseburgers instead of caviar, but who really enjoys fish eggs?

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Even if Colt Brennan were in perfect health, he'd still take Nevada and the points against Hawaii. Plus his Pacific 10 picks.

Double D, Boston Herald: Georgia is a seven-point favorite playing in Athens vs. Kentucky. The Bulldogs also have the added incentive of avenging last year’s 24-20 loss in Lexington. Lay the points.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Sorry Lloyd Carr. You're about to lose to Ohio State for the fourth year in a row.

National Championship Issue: Duke vs. Notre Dame. This one's gonna be ugly, you can just feel it. The Blue Devils win by three.

Phil Steele: His top 25 forecast. Hawaii is going to beat Nevada, 45-37, and Ohio State will edge Michigan, 24-20.

New York Post: Saturday's heroes tackle the spread.

If you are reading this on an aggregator site that is not giving credit to The Wiz of Odds, please email us at dawizofodds (at) aol.com to report the abuse.

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

Minnesota Football Has Gone to Smell

These guys from Minnesota really like to stick their noses into it, as evidenced in the Golden Gophers' game against Iowa. Pilfered from Black Heart Gold Pants on a tip from Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Refs Fumble Another One

It has been bash the refs week in this corner of cyberspace, so at this point, why not get called for piling on? Check out this no-call on a clear fumble in the Illinois-Ohio State game. The Fighting Illini tied the score on the next play, and Buckeye fans are livid, saying this miss could have cost Ohio State a shot at the Bowl Championship Series title game.

The Wiz is beginning to wonder if on-field officials are becoming hesitant to make calls, believing the replay booth will bail them out. In this case, it didn't happen.

And in a sign of good sportsmanship, the Illini and Buckeyes decided to exchange a few more blows after the game.

More Sideline Reporter Shenanigans

We learn in this report by Quint Kessenich, sideline reporter for the Boston College-Maryland game, that Eagle safety Jamie Silva and his dad are dumpster divers. Then Kessenich takes a dive himself. Thanks to Awful Announcing.

Reporters' Notebooks

Lincoln Journal Star: The life of Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove has been threatened and police are investigating. After the blowout loss to Kansas, a man reportedly left this message: “Go back to where you [expletive] came from you [expletive], before I [expletive] kill ya.”

Cliff Kirkpatrick, Corvallis Gazette-Times: The Pacific 10 responded to Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis' call for harsher discipline on the crew that worked the Beavers' game against Washington by announcing that the instant replay crew has been suspended for one game. In addition, the on-field and instant replay team will not be considered for working a bowl game.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: On a day Mike Leach announced he planned to appeal his $10,000 fine, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said this is the first time there has been a complaint about the league's policy that allows officials to work games in the city where they live and even allows officials to work games involving the school they attended.

Chris Dufrense, Los Angeles Times: Is Oregon about to be screwed once again by the Bowl Championship Series?

Brent Zwerneman, San Antonio Express-News: Texas A&M has sent recently discovered copies of Dennis Franchione's VIP Connection newsletter to the NCAA.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan practiced and is expected to start Friday night at Nevada.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii officials are promising beefed up security for the Warriors' home game against Boise State on Nov. 23 after complaints of abusive treatment of Fresno State fans last Saturday. Bark Board, a Fresno State fan site, reported "fights, alcohol, lax security and thug fans have turned Aloha Stadium into what is likely the most horrible game day atmosphere in college football."

Randy King, Roanoke Times: A different account has emerged over the gunshots that were fired into Virginia Tech cornerback Macho Harris' apartment.

Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn State offensive tackle Dennis Landolt devours seven to 10 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a night. Guard Rich Ohrnberger once consumed 10 sloppy joes for dinner.

Marc Morehouse, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Three Iowa players have been questioned in connection with an alleged sexual assault. Plus a list of Hawkeye players who have encountered legal troubles in 2007 from the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Josh Katzowitz, Cincinnati Post: Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is not concerned that his team continues to reach double-digits in penalties. "I try not to get too worked up about it, as long as we're not doing stupid things."

Paul Walsh, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota's athletic buildings were thrown into darkness when a mouse caused an electrical short.

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota's inaugural game in TCF Bank Stadium will be on Sept. 12, 2009. The opponent is Air Force.

Marisa Schultz, Detroit News: Michigan has until Monday to agree to modifications to the Big House to make it accessible for disabled patrons or face a federal lawsuit.

Associated Press: Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez is asking lawmakers to give his department a sales tax exemption on donations made by fans trying to qualify for season tickets. Alvarez said his department would owe $400,000 in the first year and up to $2 million if the tax is collected retroactively to 2001.

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star: It's time to take "interim" off Indiana coach Bill Lynch's title.

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Why on earth is Florida playing Florida International instead of a name team? In part, officials say a Southeastern Conference schedule and an annual matchup with Florida State is difficult enough.

Wally Hall, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Should Houston Nutt be replaced? That’s not up to this columnist, but don’t be surprised if his agent, Jimmy Sexton, doesn't find him a fresh start somewhere else.

Mike Duprez, Lexington Dispatch: What about those Butch Davis-to-Arkansas rumors?

Travis Haney, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Steve Spurrier on Herchel Walker's physical challenge to the South Carolina coach: "And you expect me to respond to that? And y'all actually listen to that?" Plus a tale of the tape.

John Pruett, Huntsville Times: Mississippi State's patience with Sylvester Croom is beginning to pay off in big ways.

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey is downplaying speculation that he is about to lose his job.

Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald: Miami's Randy Shannon has a tendency to place blame directly on his players for losses, taking almost none of it for himself or the coaching staff. And after 10 games and a 5-5 record, there doesn't seem to be a guarantee that Shannon will turn around the Hurricanes.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Duke offensive coordinator Peter Vaas has motivation to beat Notre Dame. He was fired from his job as Fighting Irish quarterbacks coach last January by Crewcut Charlie Weis.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Could Washington State's Bill Doba be close to saving his job?

Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State to a bowl? Unlikely, but a month ago the only bowl associated with the Aztecs had training table oatmeal in it.

Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Idaho coach Robb Akey's ribbing of rival Boise State — the first-year Vandal referred to the Broncos as "donkeys" on several occasions in the past two weeks — has intended to inject life into Saturday's game.

Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer: Is Skip Holtz in his final days as East Carolina coach?

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's orgasmic mystery link.

Dennis Dixon for Heisman

No kidding around here. The best endorsement yet for the Oregon quarterback. Dixon continues to lead the Heisman Pundit's straw poll. Thanks to Bob!

The Game That Keeps on Giving

Check out this block by Oregon State quarterback — that's right, quarterback — Lyle Moevao on Washington defensive end Grayson Gunheim during a reverse to James Rodgers. A completely legal block, but the embarrassment to Gunheim and his Husky teammates likely helped spark the chippy play later in Saturday's game in Corvallis. Eight personal fouls were called and four players were ejected.

But the play that sent emotions soaring is below. Apology for the grainy video, but it's the only one we can locate of the helmet-to-helmet hit on Husky quarterback Jake Locker by the Beavers' Al Afalava. Locker is likely out of Saturday's game against California because of a neck injury suffered on the play.

Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis was upset upon hearing that only the replay crew was reprimanded by the Pacific 10. De Carolis decided to press the issue and sent a video package to league commissioner Tom Hansen.

"I was concerned with the management of the game from the officials on the field," De Carolis said. "I felt that wasn't handled well at a lot of different levels. My recommendation to Tom was the officials get reprimanded, and that didn't come out. As to instant replay [officials], not only a reprimand, that should go beyond that. That didn't happen."

Reporters' Notebooks

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Colt Brennan will practice Wednesday and it appears the Hawaii quarterback will play Friday against Nevada.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech's Mike Leach on being fined a Big 12 record $10,000: "Well, good. We've broken records around here before. We're used to breaking records.''

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: Several players being recruited by Miami sharply criticized Hurricane players this week. And the Hurricanes don't want to hear it.

Steve Campbell, Houston Chronicle: The blessed day will come when the Bowl Championship Series will be as obsolete as those cigarette ads billing Camel as the brand more doctors smoked than any other. But will any of us live to see it?

Ron Morris, Columbia State: Some South Carolina fans are questioning whether Steve Spurrier’s offense can operate effectively in an age of zone blitzes and disguised defenses.

Randy King, Roanoke Times: Virginia Tech cornerback Macho Harris confirmed that his apartment was hit by gunshots fired by unknown suspects early Sunday morning.

Glenn Guilbeau, Shreveport Times: Les Miles on talk he will become Michigan's next coach: Nothing's changed. And nothing's going to change."

Luciana Chavez, Raleigh News & Observer: Duke will fight a lawsuit brought by Louisville that seeks $450,000 in damages after the Blue Devils canceled three scheduled games.

Andrew Carter, Orlando Sentinel: Has Florida State's investment in new assistant coaches paid off?

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Nine years ago after accepting the Oklahoma job, Bob Stoops remarked to a friend, "I'm afraid I've ruined my life.”

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota has a new sponsor — Dairy Queen — for its new stadium. Now all the Golden Gophers need is a team.

Dave Dye, Detroit News: Michigan State has motivation to beat Penn State. The Spartans want to avoid a bus trip to play in the Motor City Bowl.

Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Houston.

How Low Will They Go?

One would think that after 144 years people would have moved on, but old wounds never heal when it comes to Kansas and Missouri

Quantrill's Raid was one of the bloodiest events in the history of Kansas. William Clark Quantrill, using Missouri as his base, carried out the attack on the pro-union town of Lawrence in 1863. Today, the city seal of Lawrence commemorates Quantrill's attack with its depiction of a Phoenix rising from the ashes of the burnt city.

Now some Missouri fans are trying to cash in before the Tigers and Jayhawks square off on Nov. 24 in Kansas City.

T-shirts depicting the attack are being sold on the Internet, and as you can imagine, this is not going over well in Lawrence.

The Mike Leach Tirade

The words that are going to get Texas Tech's Mike Leach in trouble. Need we say more?

Update: The bottom line: Leach was fined $10,000 — a Big 12 record — and given a public reprimand.

Pac-10 Replay Crew Draws Reprimand

This botched call nearly cost Oregon State its victory over Washington in a chippy game Saturday night at Corvallis. The Pacific 10 announced Monday that the replay crew has been reprimanded, bringing back memories of last season's fiasco between Oklahoma and Oregon.

On this play, the Beavers' Yvenson Bernard fumbles near the goal line and the ball is picked up by Roy Lewis and returned, putting the Huskies in business. Oregon State stopped Washington and held on for a 29-23 victory.

Four players — three of them Beavers — were ejected in the third quarter and Husky quarterback Jake Locker was taken off the field by ambulance after a helmet-to-helmet hit that was ruled "inadvertent."

Colorado's Rocky Mountain Low

Here is the end of Saturday's controversial Colorado-Iowa State game in Ames. Colorado trailed, 31-28, and kicker Kevin Eberhart made a 50-yard field goal as time expired.

Or so the Buffaloes thought.

Officials ruled the snap by Justin Drescher with one second remaining came before the ball was set for play. Colorado — out of timeouts — was penalized five yards for delay of game. This is where the video picks up (language warning).

Eberhart makes the 55-yarder only to have officials rule that the Buffaloes did not get the snap off in time, ending the game.

The Big 12 said the officials got this one right and Colorado's Dan Hawkins didn't have much to say, but he is getting roasted for a fourth-down gamble early in the second half with his team leading, 21-0.

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

Auburn's Tommy Tuberville appears to have Texas A&M on speed dial. Now does he really want to become the Aggies' next coach, or is he angling for a raise, especially considering his recent success against Alabama, which went out and spent megabucks on Nick Saban. Hmmm....

Thus we bring you "Should I Stay Or Should I Go," composed by Sean Heninger of 690 The Sports Animal in Birmingham. Heninger is a musician on the side and you can listen to this hilarious parody by clicking here. Highly recommended!

The Wiz wishes to thank Ryan Brown of the Dunaway and Brown Show for sending this our way. Listen to Ryan and Jim Dunaway afternoons in Birmingham or streamed through the 690 website.

Boise State-Hawaii Winner Bound for BCS?

The trusty BCS Guru sends along word that a berth to a Bowl Championship Series game could be on the line Nov. 23 when Boise State and Hawaii play in Honolulu. How is this possible? Bronco and Warrior fans will be cheering for the Wolverines to beat the Buckeyes and win the Big Ten, likely kicking in the top 16 clause.

That clause specifies that any non-BCS member will qualify for a BCS bid if it finishes in the top 16, as long as it is ahead of a BCS conference winner. As the Guru points points out, that is a much easier path than being in the top 12 for the automatic bid.

This clause has not only sparked life into Hawaii's chances, but Boise State's as well. Hawaii is currently 16th in the BCS and Boise is 18th, both ahead of No. 21 Michigan.

Writes the Guru: "It's difficult to see the Wolverines leapfrog either team now that the Buckeyes have also slipped to No. 7 in the BCS standings."

Now Hawaii has a toughie coming up Friday at Nevada, and no decision has been made on Colt Brennan, who has been sitting out practice after suffering a concussion against Fresno State. A decision on Brennan has to be made by Wednesday, according to Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Advertiser. That is when the Warriors depart for Reno.

Boise plays host to Idaho and the Broncos are 34-point favorites.

Reporters' Notebooks

John Niyo, Detroit News: The punk band formerly known as the Dead Schembechlers is hinting at surprise concert this week in Ann Arbor.

Austin Ward, Casper Star-Tribune: Wyoming's Joe Glenn has apologized for his one-finger salute during Saturday's loss at Utah. He was also reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference.

Dwain Price, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: It's official: Texas Tech's Mike Leach is not backing off comments he made about officiating. "I don't have any regrets," he said.

Daniel Lyght, Fresno Bee: Western Athletic Conference commish Karl Benson said the hit by Fresno State's Marcus Riley on Hawaii's Colt Brennan was "legal," but he wouldn't acknowledge it as "clean."

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: This one hurts, 50 years later. Oklahoma fans recall the loss to Notre Dame that ended the Sooners' 47-game winning streak.

Mike DeArmond, Kansas City Star: Missouri's Gary Pinkel said he wasn't tempted to run up the score on Colorado in the Nov. 3 game even after his players were offended by a message on the Folsom Field video board.

Jonathan Kealing, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas students who camped out for tickets to the Jayhawks' game against Missouri on Nov. 24 ended up with less-than-desirable seats.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Lloyd Carr, expected to step down at season's end, says the only thing on his mind is the Michigan-Ohio State game.

Shannon Shelton, Detroit Free Press: Michigan State's Mark Dantonio laughed when he learned that his news conference after the Michigan loss had gained national attention and become a popular video on YouTube and blogs. :-)

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Air Force could be headed to the Dec. 31 Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth.

Rocky Mountain News: The paper's Heisman poll has Dennis Dixon in the lead, followed by Tim Tebow and Chase Daniel.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Why Is This Man Smiling?

You would be too if your team — in this case Pete Carroll's USC Trojans — had just defeated California in a driving rainstorm at Berkeley.
Golden Bear quarterback Nate Longshore, who completed 13 of 29 passes for 199 yards and had two passes intercepted, took the blame for the 24-17 loss. "I need to play better to give us a chance to win," he said. "I just couldn't get the passing game going. In the fourth quarter, I was struggling. You can't win doing that."
Image of Sport, a one-stop sports photography wire service and digital archive to meet the demands of daily newspapers and editorial publications, braved the elements at Memorial Stadium. Check out the Image of Sport Gallery.

Cal's fall from grace has been dramatic. The Golden Bears were sailing along at 5-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation, ready to climb into the top spot after Louisiana State lost at Kentucky. But Cal was stunned hours later at home by Oregon State, starting the fall. The Golden Bears have lost four of five and are 6-4.

Jeff Tedford greets offensive lineman Noris Malele before kickoff. Cal wore throwback uniforms to honor the memory of Joe Roth, who guided the Golden Bears to the 1975 Pacific 8 championship. Roth learned he had cancer in 1976 and passed away in February 1997. Roth's No. 12 is the only retired jersey in the history of Cal football.
Stafon Johnson made it a point to celebrate after scoring the winning touchdown on a three-yard run with 7:38 left.
John David Booty completed 11 of 20 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown without an interception. The Trojans are idle until a Thanksgiving night showdown against Arizona State at Tempe.

Sports By Brooks also sends along word that Cal players, before wearing the throwbacks, reportedly had to sign confidentiality agreements so word about the old-time look wouldn't leak out.

In Case You Are Awake at That Hour ...

We once again venture down that slippery slope of an off-topic post. The New Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is scheduled for implosion at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday (Pacific time) to make way for the $2 billion Montreux, scheduled to open in 2011.

At least two Las Vegas stations plan to stream the implosion: KTNV and KLAS.

The New Frontier opened in 1942 and was the oldest surviving hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip until it was closed on July 16. It was once owned by Howard Hughes.

The New Frontier played host to many celebrities, including Elvis Presley, who did his first Las Vegas performance at the joint in 1956. Diana Ross, Ronald Reagan, The Supremes and Siegried and Roy also performed at the property.

The Players Are Getting Shortchanged

Michael Lewis, author of "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," has a terrific op-ed piece in the New York Times titled "Serfs of the Turf." Oh, how college football players are getting screwed. Writes Lewis:

"At this moment there are thousands of big-time college football players, many of whom are black and poor. They perform for the intense pleasure of millions of rabid college football fans, many of whom are rich and white. The world’s most enthusiastic racially integrated marketplace is waiting to happen.

"But between buyer and seller sits the National Collegiate Athletic Association, to ensure that the universities it polices keep all the money for themselves — to make sure that the rich white folk do not slip so much as a free chicken sandwich under the table to the poor black kids. The poor black kids put up with it because they find it all but impossible to pursue NFL careers unless they play at least three years in college. Less than one percent actually sign professional football contracts and, of those, an infinitesimal fraction ever make serious money. But their hope is eternal, and their ignorance exploitable."

Lewis lays out an argument for college players being paid. Using a rough formula, he says Texas would have paid Vince Young roughly $5 million for the 2005 season. "In quarterbacking the Longhorns free of charge, Young, in effect, was making a donation to the university of $5 million a year — and also, by putting his health on the line, taking a huge career risk."

Lewis writes that under this system, those players who wish "to enjoy the pure amateur experience can continue to play for free."

On a sidenote, here is a link to an interview last year with Lewis, Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders and the Wiz on the Public Radio International show "Open Source With Christopher Lydon."

Thanks to Greg and Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Reporters' Notebooks

Dirk Facer, Deseret Morning News: Utah coach Kyle Whittingham now regrets his decision to attempt an onside kick with a 43-0 lead in the third quarter against Wyoming that drew an obscene hand gesture from Cowboy coach Joe Glenn.

Austin Ward, Casper Star-Tribune: The Mountain West Conference will review Glenn's one-finger salute to Whittingham.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Texas Tech's Mike Leach should expect a stiff fine for his criticism of officiating in his team's game against Texas.

Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: By dismissing the work of referee Randy Christal's crew as "a complete travesty" and describing the league's replay review system as "a sham," Leach has guaranteed some lively debate on this topic at the 2008 spring meetings.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: From Dan ("It's Division I football!) Hawkins to Mike ("I'm a man, I'm 40!") Gundy to Dennis (VIP Connections) Franchione to Mike ("Hell, yeah, I'm condemning the crew!") Leach, the Big 12 has become a spirited conference.

Pete Thamel, New York Times: College football needs to figure out a way to deal with an increasing number of helmet-to-helmet hits.

Scott Wright, Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, whose team likely needs an Oregon loss to get a berth to the Bowl Championship Series title game, acknowledges that he has been talking Ducks to brother Mike Stoops, whose Arizona Wildcats play Oregon on Thursday (second item).

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: No team gets Arizona fans as angry — or acting as ugly — as Arizona State. But if you ask around Tucson, Oregon is a close second and gaining.

Willie T. Smith III, Greenville News: Steve Spurrier on what is wrong with his Gamecocks: "It's pretty simple. When you get shoved around on the line of scrimmage too much, it’s hard to win."

Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post: Ten games into his tenure as Miami's coach, the honeymoon may be over for Randy Shannon.

Alexander Park, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas students camped out Sunday to ensure they get the best seats available for the Jayhawks' Nov. 24 game against Missouri in Kansas City.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: The forecast for Big 12 bowl teams remains mostly cloudy.

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Could Troy Calhoun, who has engineered a stunning turnaround at Air Force, soon be courted by a big-name team?

Dick Weiss, New York Daily News: Passing on Sylvester Croom continues to haunt Alabama.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Michigan needs quick fixes if it hopes to have a chance against Ohio State.

Mark Tupper, Decatur Herald & Review: Illinois' Ron Zook is trying to get his team settled down after beating Ohio State in order to prepare for Saturday's home game against Northwestern.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent!

Latest Cheap Shot of the Year Candidate

Washington quarterback Jake Locker is one tough kid. Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan grabs Locker by the facemask and nearly rips his head off. Incredibly, no penalty was called, and an official is standing right over the play. Thanks to Puma 1077 for this video.

In case you missed it Saturday night, Locker was ambulanced (is that a word?) off the field after a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit by Oregon State's Al Afalava. Miraculously, Locker returned in the fourth quarter and rejoined his teammates. His injuries were diagnosed as a stinger and trapezius muscle strain. It remains undetermined when he will return.

Snapshots From Week 11

We couldn't possibly produce this site without the help of TV Tan Line. A look back at the week that was.

Week 12

Much ground to cover, so let's get to it.

Tuesday: Toledo is at Ball State in an ESPN2 game. Each team enters with a 5-5 record and the host Cardinals are a 5.5-point favorite.

Wednesday: Akron is at Miami, Ohio in another ESPN2 game. The RedHawks are trying to win another Mid-American East title and are 8.5-point favorites.

Thursday: Two games, headlined by Oregon at Arizona. No need to state the importance of this game to the Ducks, who were humiliated last season by the Wildcats, 37-10. This one is in Tucson, home of Lil' Abner's Steakhouse and Dirtbag's, and the Ducks are a 12.5 favorite. In the other game, North Texas visits Arkansas State, with the Indians listed as 14-point favorites.

Friday: Hawaii visits Nevada, but because of the concussion suffered by Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan, there currently is no line. If Brennan plays, we guesstimate Hawaii will be an 8.5 favorite. The other game has Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, with the Chippewas a 12.5 favorite.

Saturday: Featured games include Penn State (-2.5) at Michigan State; West Virginia (-6.5) at Cincinnati; Oklahoma (-9.5) at Texas Tech; Duke (+5.5) at Notre Dame; Louisiana State (-18) at Mississippi; Kentucky (+8) at Georgia; Missouri (-7) at Kansas State; Boston College (+7) at Clemson and Louisville (+6.5) at South Florida. Still no line on Ohio State at Michigan because of the uncertain status of the Wolverines' Mike Hart and Chad Henne. We say there's no chance in hell they miss this game. ...

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

Old Media

Our look at how Saturday's games were played on front pages of Sunday newspapers, with one exception: the sports front of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Click an image for a closer look.

Columnists' Corner

Bob Hunter, Columbus Dispatch: About the time most of us suckers started to believe Ohio State might be good enough to play in the Bowl Championship Series title game, Illinois came to town.

Bob Heist, Shreveport Times: Louisiana State has this getting to No. 1 thing down pat. Play amazingly poor for stretches early against an overmatched in-state opponent, but win by a score that suggests start-to-finish dominance.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: This is beyond a nice little run, beyond a cute storyline and into the world of straight-faced seriousness. Kansas has one of college football’s top teams in 2007.

Bob Gillespie, Columbia State: The title of Florida living legend remained the property of the Steve Spurrier — until Saturday.

Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer: Could North Carolina State's Tom O'Brien be the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year?

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Let's list the positives for Iowa's football team Saturday. It won. Now, onto the negatives. ...

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times: Alabama just lost to Mississippi State. Should I go ahead and make reservations at the Stock-Yard Restaurant for the night before the Music City Bowl?

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: As unproven potential head coaches like Major Applewhite, Bo Pelini and Will Musgrave are bandied about as the potentially hot candidates of the day, why isn't a grinder like Mike Mangino isn’t considered as one of the most upwardly mobile coaches in his profession?

Reporters' Notebooks

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: Texas Tech's Mike Leach ripped the officiating after his team's loss at Texas, implying the Longhorns got preferential treatment. (Can anybody help us located the video?)

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Several angry Colorado players had to be restrained by teammates as Iowa State benefited from two controversial calls at the end of the Cyclones' 31-28 victory.

Brian Christopherson, Lincoln Journal Star: A week after giving up 76 points to a team from Kansas, Nebraska scored 73 against a team from Kansas. Now the Cornhuskers are talking bowl game.

Tim Prister, Indianapolis Star: It lost to Navy and now Air Force. What's next for Crewcut Charlie Weis' Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a loss to the Coast Guard?

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: Mike Singletary said that he has not had formal talks with Baylor officials about a potential coaching vacancy, but said: "I'm interested, if that's where the Lord is leading me. But I'm going to go wherever the Lord is sending us. My wife and I are continuing to be in prayer about it, and if that's where the Lord is sending us, we're open."

Joseph Person, Columbia State: The Southeastern Conference bowl picture got even murkier, and the league could end up with 11 bowl-eligible teams.

Richard Stevens, Albuquerque Tribune: New Mexico's Rocky Long on teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences playing I-AA teams: "All those [BCS] guys are playing two I-AA teams. They come out of preseason 4-0 and they go into conference and all they have to do is win two games [to be bowl eligible]."

Doug Blackburn, Tallahassee Democrat: Bobby Bowden doesn't believe Florida State's 40-21 loss to Virginia Tech was a step back for his team.

Lary Bump, Baltimore Sun: A week after giving up 44 points to Notre Dame, Navy gave up 62 to North Texas — and won!

Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News: Southern Methodist coach Phil Bennett said officials made an error in putting one second on the clock, allowing Rice to kick the game-winning field goal in a 43-42 game.

Jennifer LeBovich, Miami Herald: The best place to watch Miami's historic 48-0 loss to Virginia in the Orange Bowl? Across the street at the Bowl Bar.

Carlos Frias and Jason Lieser, Palm Beach Post: Shortly after Miami's loss, a man was stabbed during a fight one block west of the Orange Bowl.

Michael Vasquez, Miami Herald: Fans have been swiping seats at the Orange Bowl at a rate of 15-20 a game, but 50 was taken during the Hurricanes' game against North Carolina State.

Dick Dullaghan, Indianapolis Star: The nine things college recruiters are looking for in prospective players.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Wyoming's Glenn Flips Off Whittingham

Joe Glenn, who guaranteed earlier in the week his team would beat Utah, was caught on camera offering an impolite salute to Kyle Whittingham after the Utah coach tried an onside kick with a 43-point lead in the third quarter.

Update: We now have a screen grab of Glenn flipping off Whittingham.

Brennan Suffers Concussion on Vicious Hit

Hawaii held on to defeat Fresno State, 37-30, but the Warriors could be without quarterback Colt Brennan for Friday night's game at Nevada because of a concussion suffered on this hit. Brennan was knocked unconscious after being belted by the Bulldogs' Marcus Riley with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter and after about five minutes, got to his feet and slowly walked off the field.

Hawaii and Kansas are the only remaining undefeated teams in Division I-A, but if Brennan can't play Friday, the Warriors will be pressed to remain unbeaten. Thanks to UH Bows.

Another look at the play below:

An LSU-Oregon Title Game?

Les Miles might get his wish of playing a team from the Pacific 10 Conference in the Bowl Championship Series title game. But that team won't be USC; it's looking more and more like Oregon.

Louisiana State will move into the top spot in the BCS standings on Sunday and Oregon will be No. 2, according to the BCS Guru. The Tigers have three hurdles remaining to earn a trip to the BCS title game on Jan. 7 in New Orleans — at Mississippi next Saturday, Arkansas on Nov. 23 at Tiger Stadium and the Southeastern Conference title game on Dec. 1 at Atlanta. The likely opponent in the SEC title game is Tennessee, which leads the SEC East. LSU, which is only 5-5 against the spread, will be favored in every game.

Oregon plays at Arizona on Thursday night, at UCLA on Nov. 24 and Oregon State on Dec. 1 at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are 8-1 against the spread.

If either the Tigers or Ducks stumble, this where the Big 12 comes in. The conference has not been regarded among the elite leagues this season, but Kansas (10-0 against the spread), Oklahoma and Missouri are expected to hold down spots three through five in the BCS.

Ohio State is projected to drop to No. 6, followed by West Virginia, Arizona State, Georgia and Virginia Tech. It's looking more and more like Hawaii is going to need help to get into the BCS top 12.

The Warriors are projected to be No. 15 when the official standings are released Sunday.

Three for the Show

Our sister sites:
Wiz News Wired: RSS feeds for all Division I-A teams. Minutes after stories are posted elsewhere on the Internet, they will filter into News Wired.
Wiz Blog Heaven: Feeding your RSS needs with the best in college football bloggery, plus news feeds from ESPN, SI and CBS.
Wiz Resources: Helping you navigate the thicket that is the World Wide Web, with some of the best links around.

All of these pages are also linked at the top of the second column on the Wiz main page, under Links.

Is the Notre Dame House Now Divided?

Check out what Bob Kuechenberg, a 1969 Notre Dame graduate, had to say about Crewcut Charlie Weis recently in the Boston Herald (click on Page 2 of this link to access the account):

“I want to start the movement — Charlie’s last name is four letters, and so is ogre, because that’s what he is. Look it up, and you’ll find some other adjectives that fit him to a tee.

“This man has not been a good ... human being might be a little bit broad ... but this man has not been good to anybody who came to Notre Dame. Within the Notre Dame family, when former All-American players say to a man that this guy’s an [expletive], and for no reason, to me it’s karma that he’s getting his ass handed to him.”

Kuechenberg was just getting started. Weis came aboard three years ago when Notre Dame was in a vulnerable position, having lost George O'Leary to a resume flap and Urban Meyer to Florida. Weis was able to get the university to renegotiate his six-year deal into a 10-year deal after only seven games by getting his name involved with several expected NFL openings.

“In the face of all of those embarrassments, to then have Charlie Weis back out on you a couple of weeks into his career would have been really embarrassing, which is probably why they succumbed to that type of blackmail,” Kuechenberg said. “It’s the mark of the man. I can see after a couple of years to say let’s talk about an extension. But right away? It’s karmic justice that Charlie Weis is getting what he deserves for his actions.”

Kuechenberg, an offensive lineman on the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, said he also helped Notre Dame secure two offensive line recruits from Florida but never received so much as a thank you from Weis.

“I was very proud of my little role in influencing that,” he said. “You would think, it’s not like my name is Jack Jones. It’s not like he hasn't heard of me. I spent 15 years in the big leagues. My feelings were hurt on that, and then all this now. He’s getting what he has earned.”

"I was up there ... for the Michigan State game. He has insulted people. It doesn't matter if you’re an ex-football player, a regular alumni, what have you. He’s been abusive and totally, unnecessarily arrogant to the Notre Dame family itself and it’s all coming back in his lap.

“I've yet to meet the man, and frankly I hope I never do. There’s nothing about his image that I have any respect for. I don’t know Charlie personally, but his image is wide enough and consistent enough from sources I hold in high regard. These are good friends of mine and it’s the same broken record. This guy is an ogre.

“He’s been rude to them, curt and abrasive. The Notre Dame student-athlete is held to a higher standard, so what’s with the coach? Hello — you’re the leader. Act like one.

"Admittedly, the Notre Dame job is probably one of the biggest, toughest pressure cookers in all of college. If you don’t win there, you have to be gone. The question is, since he’s Charlie Weis, and he has this unprecedented 10-year contract, can he be let go? If you go 2-10 and piss off everyone you encounter, I see no reason why you should stay.”

“I’m just hoping one of these wealthy alums helps buy out his contract."

News From the Volunteer State

Not the father-son picture you want to see. This is Tennessee fan Daniel Young with his 2-year-old son on Wednesday afternoon at a Suntrust Bank inside a Kroger store in Knoxville. He was caught on a surveillance camera while allegedly committing a robbery. He was arrest later that evening on two outstanding warrants and charged with one count of armed robbery. Thanks to Mac Gs World and reader Mike.

In another development, 191 former Volunteers, including Peyton Manning, have their names listed on a full-page ad in support of Fat Phil Fulmer. The ad ran in Friday editions of the Knoxville News Sentinel and you can view a PDF file of the ad by clicking here. Thanks to reader Bill for the tip and our friends at Tiger Droppings for the Fulmer fark.

Did Louisville Player Spit in White's Face?

Louisville linebacker Preston Smith and coach Steve Kragthorpe deny it, but it appears that Smith was caught spitting in the face of West Virginia quarterback Pat White during Thursday night's game in Morgantown.

Brian Bennett of the Louisville Courier-Journal was the first to report the story and has all the details on his blog. Watch carefully in the above video, the two players at the far right of the screen. Smith is No. 6 and White is No. 5 in gold.

Writes Bennett: "Not perfectly clear, but it does look as though Smith's head bobs toward White's helmet after the two were jawing. White then appears to grab an official's attention and point toward Smith."

Game of the Week

Kansas' Mark Mangino. Name a coach who has done a better job this season. Can't do it, can you? His team scored 76 points last Saturday against Nebraska and frankly, could have scored more. And consider that Mangino is doing this in Lawrence — where football players are few and far between and basketball is king — it's even more astounding.

So why is Mangino never mentioned for openings at high-profile programs? It's simple: His weight. It's discrimination. This guy can coach with the best of them.

Poke fun at Mangino, but his team is 9-0 as it prepares to roll into Stillwater on Saturday to challenge an unpredictable Oklahoma State outfit that is coming off a crushing defeat — again — to Texas.

The Cowboys, who are six-point underdogs, have plenty of offensive firepower. And they have Mike Gundy, who could go YouTube at any moment.

It's enough to confuse the best of prognosticators, and to help clear it up, we welcome college football fanatic Chris Plank of Fox Sports Radio. You can listen to Chris' show from 2 a.m.-6 a.m. (Eastern) every Friday and Saturday on the vast Fox Sports Radio Network. During the week, he can be heard over Tulsa's 1430 The Buzz. Here's what he has to say:

"Talk about a season-making game. ... The Oklahoma State Cowboys are a mere four points from an undefeated mark in Big 12 play. This is the same Oklahoma State team that looked absolutely inept in season-opening losses to Georgia and Troy.

"A win over undefeated Kansas could go a long way to improve OSU's bowl possibilities and set up a monster Bedlam matchup to complete the regular season in Norman against Oklahoma.

"The Cowboys made the switch to Zac Robinson at quarterback and despite his struggles in the Troy loss he has been steady and effective as the leader of the offense.

"The headlines from last week's meltdown against Texas revolve around the Longhorns' 24-point fourth quarter. But the play of Robinson was unbelievable. He threw for 430 yards as the Pokes rolled up 594 yards of offense.

"While Robinson has been a steady leader for the Cowboys, the offense is led by Dantrell Savage. Despite missing two games, Savage is the leading rusher in the Big 12, averaging 121 yards a game and just over five yards a carry.

"The problem for OSU has been consistent and simple — defense. OSU ranks 11th out of 12 teams in defense and last in pass defense in the Big 12.

"If Todd Reesing and the No. 1 scoring offense in the Big 12 get rolling, it could be a long afternoon for the Pokes. But expect a spirited and focused attack from OSU that could have this game coming down to the final play. Kansas will pull it out in a shootout, but this is one prime-time game that you will not want to miss if you are a fan of high-powered offensive attacks."

And this post wouldn't be complete without a clownish Granny Holtz Pep Talk:

Crystal Ball

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: This doesn't appear to be the best of Saturdays for fans of Cincinnati, Notre Dame or Arkansas.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Never have the skies been so clear. It's as if the oddsmakers have opened up a gated community called Easy Street. Let's roll.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: He has won two weeks in a row with Ohio State, so why not make it three? His Pacific 10 selections: Oregon State, Stanford, USC and UCLA.

Double D, Boston Herald: It's this simple: Missouri is a 19.5-point favorite at home over a Texas A&M team whose coach, Dennis Franchione, is a dead man walking. Lay the points.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: If you have any kind of a handle on the Southeastern Conference East Division race, you’re either psychic or lying. So here goes: Georgia 27, Auburn 24.

Phil Steele: His top 25 forecast. Oklahoma State is going to beat Kansas, 33-30, and Texas Tech is going to upset Texas 36-35.

New York Post: Saturday's heroes tackle the spread.

If you are reading this on an aggregator site that is not giving credit to The Wiz of Odds, please email us at dawizofodds (at) aol.com to report the abuse.

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports. The Doc says load up on Northwestern against Indiana.

Baylor's Morriss Going, Going ... Gone?

The Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News report that Baylor coach Guy Morriss will not be retained as coach. The Bears' search for his successor is expected to begin — and likely end — with San Francisco 49ers assistant Mike Singletary, a former Baylor linebacker who won a Super Bowl as a member of the Chicago Bears.

It has shaped up as a particularly bloody firing season in the Big 12, with Nebraska's Bill Callahan and Texas A&M's Dennis Franchione expected to clean out their offices.

Last Call for the Orange Bowl

On Saturday night, Miami will emerge from the white smoke leading out of its locker room and charge onto the Orange Bowl for one last time. The Orange Bowl — a place where John F. Kennedy spoke, Joe Namath made good on his Super Bowl guarantee and some of the most historic games in college football were played — will have one last glorious moment.

The reality is that the facility — after 70 years — is an eyesore, and Miami's decision to move home games up I-95 to Dolphin Stadium beginning in 2008 was the final blow to the rusty old building. The city has decided to demolish the sports cathedral next spring and sell off pieces — including urinals — as memorabilia.

South Florida papers have been busy churning out copy before the Hurricanes' finale against Virginia. A sampling:

Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post: It opened in 1937 as Burdine Stadium and was later renamed the Orange Bowl. It wasn't always pretty. In the 1940s, teams visiting the facility left black players home because of city and state laws prohibiting interracial athletic competition.

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: It's time to say farewell now, free of rancor or regret. Time to pay respects. To see the grand old dame in repose and not notice the lines or cracks, but invite only the sweetest memories.

Randall Mell, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: The most gifted architect in the world can't create a great stadium. The greatest stadiums are built of magical moments.

Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post: Who could forget Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan in 1984? Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner being flagged for going onto the field in 1985? Alabama's Lee Roy Jordan trotting off the field with President Kennedy's silver dollar after the coin toss for the 1963 Orange Bowl?

A 30-second tribute to the Orange Bowl by the University of Miami's School of Communication, Department of Athletics, and Frost School of Music:

Reporters' Notebooks

Derek Wallbank, Lansing State Journal: The latest from Michigan: An unknown assailant spray-painted a block M, similar to the logo of the University of Michigan, on the brick base of Michigan State's Sparty statue.

Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News: Michigan State's Mark Dantonio did wonders for the rivalry with Michigan. But what good did it do for his team, which has lost five of six?

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: In a stadium filled with gold, a man named White kept the Louisville Cardinals feeling blue.

Rhiannon Potkey, Salt Lake Tribune: Brigham Young's victory over Texas Christian extended the Cougars' winning streak to six. BYU has won 11 in a row at home and 13 in a row in the Mountain West.

Heisman Pundit: Oregon's Dennis Dixon leads this week's Heisman straw poll over Florida's Tim Tebow and Arkansas' Darren McFadden.

Toledo Blade: Toledo will open the 2013 season at Florida, the latest in a string of high-profile opponents scheduled by the Rockets.

George Hostetter, Fresno Bee: So many athletes on Fresno State's football, men's basketball and wrestling teams were failing drug tests several years ago that university officials declared the programs to be high-risk, a former athletic department official testified in a sexual-discrimination trial.

Bryant-Jon Anteola, Fresno Bee: Can a team from a mid-major conference still get into a Bowl Championship Series game by going undefeated and playing one of the weakest schedules in the nation? That is the question before Hawaii.

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Louisville has f