Campus Confidential

By Adam Abramson

I am sure Pat Forde has better sources than I do, but I would have put the farm on this last weekend after talking to my sources plugged in to the Lincoln pipeline.

Pelini out makes you think that Les Miles to Michigan is a matter of when...and I read a few places this week some of the boosters wouldn't be sad to see him go. We'll stay tuned on this front.

Also, the Washington Post printed an article today concerning Bud Foster pursuing a head coaching job somewhere...Southern Miss, Northern Illinois? Foster, Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator, is one of the best when it comes to the Xs and Os. A head coaching job at a smaller, non-BCS school would be good for him. Covering his defense for four years, I spent many an evening watching Foster in action.

He's an intense dude. Real intense. I have the utmost respect for him, but if he wants to be the face of a major college football operation, he needs some polish. His fire might not gel with important people -- a fact that might tick him off, but something he'll have to get used to.

Do I think Foster will be a successful head coach? Yes, and it could be at Virginia Tech when Frank Beamer retires, but it would be best for both parties if he tested the waters abroad.

By Adam Abramson

I come to you with my apologies.

I'm in the process of moving and the timing couldn't be worse. It'd be like asking an accountant to move during tax season or a politician to move during an election. But I've made the bed...at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (this time next week).

Enough about me. We had a pretty good football game to watch last night.

Could you imagine how long this blog post would be if the game had meant what we all thought it would back in early September? Louisville and bowl eligibility are two concepts that should have cross paths back in October, not November 29, with the bowl eligibility part hanging in the balance.

Either way, it was a good game. Rice found pay dirt three times, but racked up just 120 on 30 carries. Brohm attempted just 22 passes but was clutch in the fourth quarter to put the Cards in position to win. If you didn't see, he threw a perfect strike to Harry Douglas along the sideline for 46 yards that set up Art Carmody's 33 yarder to win it. Fine work by a senior QB part of a pretty solid class.

We can only hope that last night was the start of a great championship weekend. My picks are very important this weekend, but I'll explain that early next week.

Until then...

KNWA's Matt Turner is reporting on nwa.com in Fayetteville that Tommy Tuberville will leave Auburn and head to Arkansas, making it two coaches who have left their schools and stayed in the Southeastern conference (Houston Nutt left Arkansas and went to Ole Miss).

The guy who was in charge of putting Matt Turner's copy on the Web is clearly a HUGE Razorbacks fan.

I did hear Butch Davis was in contact with the Arkansas people, so let's see how this develops. And everything I read/everyone I talk to makes me think Les Miles is going to be in Ann Arbor next season (and nothing's changed on the Pelini to Nebraska front, despite Tom Osborne anointing himself today).

By Adam Abramson

So, my colleague who knows people all around State College was right.

JoePa's reported salary is $512,664, $12,664 off the mark of the Penn State fanatic that humors me with college football talk every day.

He tried to tell me that JoePa is a simple man and that an outlandish salary is just not his style. I say that's pretty neat considering what other coaches make. I know Beamer re-upped my last year covering the team for a cool $2 mil a year.

In fact, here's a list for you:

Here you go

If I'm not mistaken, 28 of the top 30 are public schools (excluding Joe Paterno's $2 million that's misreported). In a day of big contracts in the big business of college football, Joe Paterno makes less than about 70% of college coaches, many of whom under perform constantly. Old school.

“I’m paid well, I’m not overpaid,” Paterno said “I got all the money I need.”

He's the man.

Gone is the Top 25. Here is the top 14, in the spirit of the BCS.

Why 14? Well, because it's between 12 and 16 and I don't think any other teams not on this list deserve mentioning...except Tennessee, but there's not much to say about the Vols except they're the fourth-best team in their conference. I've already said too much.

1. West Virginia
It's been very easy to hate WVU this year because the Big East wasn't all that it was billed. However, the Mountaineers have one of the country's top offenses and the defense has answered the bell in every game this season (even in ths loss). Rich Rodriguez's team has earned this ranking and a chance to play for the national title.

2. Missouri
Can the Tigers exact their revenge? 'Win and you're in' hasn't been an easy concept for most this year...If the Tigers do win, it could be an offensive party we're all invited to come early January.

3. Georgia
In my world, the Dawgs have a very real chance to make the championship game, because UGA would take Ohio State to the woodshed. But in the twisted world of the BCS, playing in the desolate Big 10 gives you more credibility.

4. LSU
Honestly, this team is the biggest disappointment in a while. There's really no excuse, considering all the talent that LSU can showcase. And Les Miles' argument about undefeated in regulation is the most absurd logic. I hope he doesn't pull a stunt like that in Michgian...in the South you're allowed to be a little...eccentric?

5. Ohio State
Once again, in my world it'd be rather tough for the Buckeyes to play for the national title, but in the twisted world of the BCS, there's a very real possibility.

6. Virginia Tech
Many in Virginia Tech land are playing the 'what if' game? What if VT didn't collapse in the final two minutes against BC? Would the Hokies be ranked No. 1? Perhaps, but that's a mind-boggling game to play. Tech has played lights out football since then and if it can take care of business this weekend, all will be fine for the Hokies.

7. Southern California
Besides Georgia, this could be the team that would benefit most from a playoff this year. A USC-Ohio State Rose Bowl would actually be a dream game for the BCS and a great test to see how the programs will fare the next 2-3 years.

8. Oklahoma
Are the Sooners ready to blow up the BCS? If not, it's Cotton Bowl. Once again, the Sooners control their own destiny.

9. Florida
Another team who could potentially rock a playoff system. The strength of the SEC and the loss to Georgia keep the Gators outof the BCS picture, which is a lesson of humility for that athletic department. But they won't be held down long.

10. Kansas
The Jayhawks actually must pull for the Tigers. The question is this: Does two losses to Oklahoma trump a one-loss Kansas (who lost to this two-loss team) in the eyes of the BCS? You'd have to think so, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

11. Hawaii
They've earned the right, much like Boise did last year.

12. Boston College
Will it be Miami or Atlanta for New Years? Many are quick to count out the Eagles because of the whole Virginia Tech revenge thing, but it's not like BC isn't play for anything here...

13. Arizona State
A lot has to happen, but I think that Arizona State has a resume as impressive as Ohio State.

14. Illinois
The Illini could find a way to sneak in to the BCS, but Arizona State has earned the right moreso...

By Adam Abramson

Time to put the kids to bed.

With less than two weeks until the Heisman Trophy ceremony, it's virtually a two-man race between Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden.

Both had unbelievable Saturdays to wrap up the season, with the edge in that category going to McFadden. His performance of 206 rushing yards, 34 passing yards and four total touchdowns was crucial in Arkansas topping No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge. Tebow had 351 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Florida State, but it's FSU...

McFadden's numbers have actually improved from last year's Heisman runner-up season while Tebow has done something never accomplished in college football in his first year starting -- 20 TDs rushing and passing.

Against Auburn McFadden had 43 yards on 17 carries. Tebow completed less than 50% of his passes against LSU for just 158 yards. His three TDs were almost enough to pull off the win, but we all know what the word almost implies. This tells us both are human.

What would a comparison be without a tale of the tape? Rankings are in parenthesis.

But the numbers speak for themselves. Tebow is on a plateau by himself.

The question is: Does a Missouri victory vault Chase Daniel above both the names in this case study?

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel is as fed up as the rest of us.

He's published a column making his case for the playoff system in our beloved sport.

I have thought long myself, as many have you, that the sport is ready to incorportate the system of its lower levels (FCS, II, III). Wetzel brings up some fantastic points and has a well-crafted piece.

He's also put together a bracket of what a playoff would look like assuming the season ends today. There's a method to the madness that includes conference winners from all conferences and five at-large bids. At the risk of rewriting his piece, just go check it out (link above).

Click the picture for a larger version.

By Adam Abramson

I had about 25 comments from the weekend and I wanted to pull out some points and address them. It's not real in depth, but I'm going to talk a lot about BCS picture/what a playoff would look like and the Heisman tomorrow, so I'm going to be cracking on that all night.

It's a beautiful thing when the Rangers, Islanders and Knicks are off. And A-Rod doesn't create any news.

Adam,
I'm sitting here watching the 3rd OT of the LSU - Arkansas game. I'm in a disagreement with a buddy about the wisdom of Nutt deciding to start the OT on defense. My buddy says you always pick "D" so you know whether you need 3 or 7. I'm thinking when your the underdog and run a better offense than a defense - it often makes sense to go on offense first. Make the other guy play catch-up.
What do you think?

I'll address this at length at a later date, but soon. I think this is a great topic for discussion. My first instinct is to always take D first, but let me stew on it some.

I had the chance to see Pryor play while eating a Primanti Bros. sandwich on Friday afternoon and actually passed through his hometown on the way to the wedding this weekend. I have no idea how good Beaver Falls is, but Pryor made them look like the Little Giants at their first practice in the Pennsylvania state championship games. He was a man among boys and any school should instantly benefit from his presence on the roster.

And I finally made it up to Mt. Washington…great, GREAT view.

The way things are going, is it possible that USC & Ohio State could end up playing for the championship? Heck, maybe even Hawaii & Kansas or Missouri or LSU or Oklahoma. You guys get the point. Of course, just think how great all of these arguments would be if there was a playoff. What do I know, clearly, nothing, I am still smarting from the beating last night. The only thing at this point is will Hawaii-Boise State be higher scoring than Colorado-Nebraska?

At this point, I am going to refrain from assuming just based on this while season. It really could be anyone, and when computers are running the show, who knows what will happen on December 2. Logic gives us a clear idea, but we'll have to wait and see.

As for USC, I watched the Trojans play Arizona State and what stood out to me most was the youth at the skill positions. Joe McKnight really looks like he can be a version of Reggie Bush next season or the year after and those receivers are going to torch secondaries for a bit, but the whole group just needs some polish.

I'll throw up a post about this more within 12 hours.

Oh, by the way, with all of the upsets again, and the weekend is just starting (A&M/Arkansas), if Hawaii wins out, they have to go to a BCS game, don't they?

Yes. The win over Boise earned them that right. But we'll talk more about this tomorrow. There's just a lot to digest.

Adam, if you haven't seen it yet. This is the best penalty ever called in college football. Worth embedding if you're bored.

I'm bored.

By Adam Abramson

There’s honestly so much to talk about that I really don’t know where to begin.

I guess coaches is as important as anything.

1. Houston Nutt leaving Arkansas had been a long time coming. The Mitch Mustain fiasco numbered his days there unless he could keep winning 10 games each season. Couple that with the fact you’re not in the national title hunt with a pair of backs named Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and you’re going to anger some important people in Fayetteville. Now, for Ole Miss to scoop up Nutt is genius. The Ed Orgeron project didn’t work out as planned, so why not get a proven SEC wave maker? Nutt is a guy who will bring high energy and is the school’s only shot from letting neighboring Alabama take any good prospect out of the state.

2. I am hearing Butch Davis to Arkansas. While this makes perfect sense for the school and the former player and student-coach in the Razorbacks program, it would devastate the University of North Carolina. We were reminded of what Davis brings to the table when you take a look at his first UNC recruiting class that includes Marvin Austin, Mike Paulus, Greg Little and a fair amount other blue chip guys. Arkansas, who had just three four-star recruits last year, could use that kind of umph. As for North Carolina, they better start making some closed-door phone calls to see if they can get a name half as big as Butch Davis. One guy they might want to give a hard sell to is Turner Gill up in Buffalo.

3. Why not Turner Gill to Nebraska you ask? Well, the former player and assistant coach in Lincoln would be a fantastic fit there. In fact, I think the Cornhuskers should hire him, but the one positive thing I did this weekend was receive good information that Bo Pelini, former defensive coordinator under Solich, interim head coach after Solich was fired and current LSU defensive coordinator will be the next head football coach at Nebraska. While I think Gill is the route Nebraska should take, Pelini could step into the shoes left vacant by Bill Callahan and make a splash. Clearly the guy knows defenses and I think the faithful in Lincoln would do anything to get the Black Shirts back. I was actually reading reports about vast groups of alumni and media on the Internet tracking the plane of Tom Osbourne, who is out and about interviewing for his next head coach. That’s passion.

4. If my information is as good as I think it is, Pelini to Nebraska all but guarantees Les Miles to Michigan. Losing your offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in successive years is bad enough. If you have your alma mater as an out, which happens to be one of the most prestigious jobs in your field, you take it. If he somehow passes, LSU should sign him to a lifetime deal and build a statue already (assuming he keeps winning). The Tigers could actually be in a bind if everyone grabs up their coaches and Miles waits until mid-January to make a decision. If Miles announces he’s staying at LSU in mid-Jan, at least the Wolverines have Ron English as an option (who I still petition for…he’s an awesome coordinator).

5. Mike Sherman is as good of a fit as anyone for Texas A&M. He has a resume that includes important pro stops and a stint at aTm. What stands out to me most is his GM role with the Packers. A lot of these guys on the NFL level don’t have that program management skill that’s needed on the college ranks. Sherman has played that juggling game and can use that to his advantage in College Station. It’s obvious that Sherman is an offensive mind, so it’s important that he dedicates a lot of time to his defensive staff and makes sure Texas A&M can restore its prowess on that side of the ball or he won’t be coach there for very long. But expect the Aggies to keep that running attack strong, as the offensive lines will only get better with Sherman at the helm.

6. Two things contributed to Chan Gailey’s firing at Georgia Tech: Reggie Ball and the University of Georgia. His quarterback of four years began his career with a bang, being named the conference’s freshman of the year. Gailey then rode him out for three more seasons filled with disappointment after disappointment. In four years, Ball threw just two more touchdowns than interceptions and didn’t beat Georgia one time. I became tired of watching Chan Gailey put his faith in Ball week after week, I couldn’t imagine what the alum felt.
   

Let me grab some lunch and we’ll start talking about the rest of this season.

By Adam Abramson

R.I.P. Sean Taylor.

I went to bed hearing the Washington Redskins free safety, about my age, had shown positive signs at the hospital and woke up to the news that he succumb to his gunshot wounds and passed away overnight. Heartbreaking.

The bone-crushing free safety has been one of my favorite football players dating back to almost the beginning of this decade – back to the days he was laying lumber in Coral Gables for the Miami Hurricanes.

Taylor liked to do things his way, especially right out of college. But you could see him maturing as a football player and person as each season progressed.

I’m not sure what else to say. My heart goes out to his family and little daughter.

#26 will be missed.

I'm sitting in the Pittsburgh airport waiting for my flight back to reality.

Before we get into the football, I will say that this was my first wedding of friends from college. Actually, it was my first wedding of friends in general. I now know how a wedding is supposed to go down. I know they're on their honeymoon at this point, but Kim and Kyle are readers of Campus Confidential, so congrats (for the 500th time).

We're starting to see how all of this is coming together. I was able to watch Arkansas-LSU and the end of Texas-Texas A&M on Friday, the first half of Boise State-Hawaii that night and the first three quarters of Virginia Tech-Virginia on Saturday.

Quick funny story. We're on the way to the church for the wedding. I'm in the back seat with my buddy's Blackberry hitting refresh on ESPN.com every .2034 seconds and providing the updates. About 15 minutes before the ceremony, we get a call from Kyle, the groom. Thinking there might be trouble, we answer in a panic only to find out he's calling to see if Tech pulled out the victory. We replied with a "yes, now you can get married in peace."

So, besides the fact that Virginia Tech fans are insane, what else did we learn this weekend?

1. 1. Houston Nutt is an LSU killer. As a matter of fact, so is Darren McFadden. It was business as usual for DMac, who found the end zone four times. Nobody wanted to fully come out and say it, but LSU pretty much at it coming. The Tigers weren't putting teams away the way they were in the first half of the season. Les Miles has had his bout with injuries, but when you recruit like LSU has, you should have a solid depth chart. It's really a shame because when the light goes on in Baton Rouge, I still think they can beat anyone in the country. The season was developing much like Florida's last year. Now it's Sugar Bowl at best for the Tigers. As for the Razorbacks, it was nice to see that offense play up to its potential. I've said time and time again there's really no excuse for sluggish performances when you have two of the best running backs in college football. Now, did Nutt save his job? It's only going to get tougher when McFadden goes pro…

2. 2. Missouri winning shouldn't have been that big of a surprise. Kansas played the Tigers tough, but there's a distinct difference in the two teams that starts at quarterback. Todd Reesing's resume is pretty much this year's body of work, while Chase Daniel has been going to battle for a few seasons now. There's no question that the Missouri-Oklahoma rematch is the game of the weekend and the most important game of the season. If you've been sleeping on Big 12 football, fear not. We'll get into it this week and get you ready for Saturday.

3. 3. The Orange Bowl could be the best BCS game this season. If Virginia Tech exacts its revenge over Boston College on Saturday, we very well could see a VT-Georgia matchup in Miami. This is a take-two from last year's Peach Bowl, where the Dawgs put together a mean second-half comeback against the Hokies. These two teams are playing as good of football as anyone in the country at this point.

4. 4. It's not so easy to finish. We've seen Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma and Ohio State kiss their first-class ticket to New Orleans goodbye because they couldn't slam the nail in the coffin (or watch their QB go down with an ACL tear). Next on the chopping block are West Virginia and Missouri. But with the way that Pat White and Steve Slaton can take over a ball game, Rich Rodriguez should have no problem crafting a gameplan to breeze by Pittsburgh. A lot of people want to scoff at WVU in a national title game, but that offense can be put up against anyone's in the country. Just ask UConn. White was a man on a mission and if he can jumpstart the ground game, the rest takes care of itself.

5. 5. Illinios, Ohio State, Virginia Tech/Boston College, Georgia, LSU/Tennessee, USC, Hawaii, Big 12 winner, Big 12 runner-up. That's what your BCS is going to look like, off the top of my head. Kansas only dropped to fifth in the BCS, but if Missouri loses this weekend, the Tigers deserve an at-large over one-loss Kansas, right? Could be fodder for a good debate.
   

And I heard something interesting about the Nebraska coaching situation. I'll try to dig into that some later and see what I can report.

10-4 against the spread (thanks Boise...and Kentucky).

Just wanted to drop a drive-by post. It's Sunday night and I've finally had time to unwind...but I'm not back in New York.

The plan is to fly home in the morning, digest this weekend's football events and we'll get some discussion going on here.

I hope everyone had a good weekend.

And, yes, the beard stayed and that's me and the beard throwing up a half-hearted Heisman in honor of Tim Tebow.

I am currently engrossed in Rocky III, patiently awaiting the USC-ASU game.

Mr. T might be the baddest dude to walk the planet in a long time.

I did some research on Laurence Tureaud and he lived an awesome life. On his business card read "Next to God, there is no greater protector than I." How money is that?

We have a great lineup this weekend, isn't Rivalry Week the best invention ever? There are a few games that have pretty attractive lines…

-Virginia Tech-Virginia
-Georgia-Georgia Tech
-Texas-Texas A&M
-Boise-Hawaii

Alright, Mickey just died. I'm bummed. I gotta go…enjoy the games. Someone text message me scores between the hours of 4 and 5.

By Adam Abramson

It's starting to smell good in this house, so I only have a minute.

I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I'm thankful you all read my stuff and make it worth writing.

On a football-related note, I'm taking Southern Cal tonight to win (sorry, Paul). It just wouldn't be right if USC wasn't in the mix for the Pac-10 crown.

I'll have the rest of my picks for a very big weekend up tomorrow.

Best,
Adam

By Adam Abramson

It's Virginia-Virginia Tech week and this is the first time since I've followed the rivalry that the game means something more than bragging rights for both schools - a conference title is on the line.

But I'll leave the Xs and Os for later in the week because I wanted to bring up something else.

There's no denying Virginia's reputation for being one of America's top educational institutions, public or private. And there's no denying that its athletic department is among the country's best. But the football program is still catching up with the modern curve, whether people in Charlottesville want to believe that or not.

I've been to multiple games in Scott Stadium, Virginia Tech and non-VT games, and it's not the most hostile of environments. I don't want this come off as a bashing of UVA during rivalry week. I just want to point out that the culture needs some retooling. This goes for the athletic department as well.

I brought along some screen grabs to highlight my point. So click below and check them out. At the bottom I'll explain more.

By Adam Abramson

I love the raging debate over the Heisman Trophy at this point.

If the ballots were due today, why wouldn't Tim Tebow get 80% of first place votes? Why not 100%? Well, some of the Midwest fellas would probably start throwing crazy names out there like Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing.

Speaking of Reesing, his name has come up a lot. He's put together a great season, no doubt about that and I think he should be on the ballots, but let me reiterate this argument I heard on the radio last Saturday. In short, the talking head said that Tim Tebow is facing an uphill battle because he's a sophomore and many purists won't vote for one. While ridiculous in principle, it's a fair argument. But one name that we should watch out for is Reesing, because if he wins this Saturday and the following, that voters will be inclined to vote for the quarterback with impressive stats on a team heading to the BCS title game. Also a fair argument, but he left out something. REESING IS A SOPHOMORE, JUST LIKE TEBOW. Both are true sophomores.

I'm done venting. More on Reesing below, because he's made this week's ballot - which is not afraid of sophomores.

Tim Tebow, Florida QB
Why: Well, because he's the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw and run for 20 touchdowns in a season.
How he can win it: Look average or better this weekend against Florida State. And laugh at Geno Hayes as he bowls over him for a touchdown.
How he can lose it: Stink up the joint. All he has to do is be average and lead Florida to a win.

Jamaal Charles, Texas RB
Why: He's been really hot for a team that has looked for a leader. It's a shame he's getting no hype. He averages 6.4 yards per carry.
How he can win it: He has to get himself on the map this weekend with something huge. Bigger than his last two games. And he needs to play in the Big 12 title game, which can only happen with an Oklahoma loss.
How he can lose it: Three ways. 1. Be average this weekend. 2. Oklahoma doesn't lose. 3. Tim Tebow doesn't implode.

Todd Reesing, Kansas QB
Why: In his first full year as a starter he's led his team to the No. 2 ranking with two weeks remaining in the season. And he's done it by being one of the country's best passers. Also, he lists snake wrangling as a hobby and his pickup line in Sports Illustrated's Pop Culture grid was "Did you see the game on Saturday?" Money.
How he can win it: Just keep winning and hope Tim Tebow implodes.
How he can lose it: Lose. Or he wins out but Tebow throws for 8,000 yards on Saturday.

Darren McFadden, Arkansas RB
Why: He has hype. People are quick to say he's the best player in college football. He's No. 4 in the country in rushing. He was the runner up last year.
How he can win it: Lead Arkansas to a win over LSU and blow up the BCS. And hope Tim Tebow doesn't find the end zone 72 times this weekend.
How he can lose it: Be average, like he has been a few times this year.

Chase Daniel, Missouri QB
Why: Well, many of the reasons that Reesing is on this list. He's completing almost 70% of his passes this season. And he's getting better as the season goes along (12 TDs, 1 INT in his last 3 games).
How he can win it: Beat Kansas. Win the Big XII title. And hope Tim Tebow implodes.
How he can lose it: Lose and add to his INT total that currently stands at 9, almost more than Tebow and Reesing, combined.

By Adam Abramson

A few notes to wrap up the evening:

1. I need your input. I'm coming to the forum I feel will give me the most honest opinion. To the left is my beard. It's about 2-3 weeks grown-in. Now, I'm going to a wedding this weekend and part of me feels I should take off the beard. The other part of me doesn't want to because I don't want to spend another 2-3 weeks to get it to where it is now and I like it for the winter. I have a poll set up. Click here. Yes, it's a slow night at work.

2. In order of increasing importance, I finally saw the movie "Invincible" today. It stars our very own Bob Glauber. It actually doesn't star him. He's in the movie as a reporter. But I'll say this much, and it won't come as a surprise: Great hair. Great hair. Anyway, it's a good flick.

3. Joe Paterno's salary is finally going to be revealed. Mike here in the office, a Penn State die hard thinks it'll be in the range of $500,000/year. I say it's at least 5-6 times that. What do you think it'll be?

4. Nick Saban is a goof. Here's why:

"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," Saban said during the opening remarks of his weekly news conference. "It may be 9-11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event."

"What Coach Saban said did not correlate losing a football game with tragedy; everyone needs to understand that. He was not equating losing football games to those catastrophic events," football spokesman Jeff Purington said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The message was that true spirit and unity become evident in the most difficult of times. Those were two tremendous examples that everyone can identify with."

That's straight from the Associated Press.

I took a stroll over to Erik Boland's desk to talk about this with him and said he might be able to explain how idiotic this statement was with more eloquence. He came back with "Anything you write in response to that doesn't need eloquence."

He's right. It's not even offensive, it's just stupid. I say it's not offensive because I really, truly think he had no clue of what he was saying. "Pearl Harbor got us ready for World War II, or whatever..." Could be offensive, but more ignorant than anything else.

There are about 40,000 better ways to say what he was implying. Why not just say: These are trying times for us. We suffered two bad losses in a row and we better dig deep, rally and use that fire to face Auburn this weekend? Or why not use a sports reference? The 2001 Patriots: Losers in three of their first four, only to go on and win the Super Bowl and kick off a tremendous run. We need to put together a season-ending performance just like that.

When did he think this was a good idea? Did he run it by anyone?

Stick to the Xs and Os, coach. You're much better at that.

By Adam Abramson

I feel the need to tell you that "Chuck" is the best show on TV this fall.

It's funny, witty and well-written. It has a romance twist (featuring the ultra-hot Yvonne Strahovski) and did I mention it has Yvonne Strahovski? I'm in love with her. Someone find out if she likes charming college football writers that are pretty decent at Guitar Hero. If so, I might have an outside shot.

Anyway, onto business. Can you believe the season is winding down? As tumultuous as it's been, it's flown by.

But things are really coming together now and the polls are increasingly more important. It may not look like how we originally forecast, but that's OK.

Let's take a gander:

25. BYU
I would have rather ranked just 24 teams, but I'll include BYU because I'm nice, and because they're decent.

24. Cincinnati
Ben Mauk had the nicest throw I've seen this year. Rolling to his right, he fired a touchdown pass to Marcus Bennett. The ball was a bullet and perfect spiral. The Bearcats played WVU tough, especially in the second half and don't deserve to fall out of the Top 25 because of that loss.

23. Connecticut
Big game this weekend. Randy Edsall earns coach of the year with a win over West Virginia and the UConn would play in the BCS. That's a tall task, but how do you like them apples?

22. Kentucky
UConn isn't the only team that could mix up the BCS this coming weekend. A win over Tennessee and the SEC East is looking a little different. By the way, Andre Woodson is still a great quarterback.

21. Clemson
I don't understand why Tommy Bowden isn't more patient with the run. Spiller and Davis' combined stats against BC: 23 carries, 62 yards and a touch. OK, so they weren't getting many yards, but it's not like Cullen Harper was lighting it up through the air. When you have weapons like that, they should each get at least 15 carries a game, AT LEAST. Don't abandon the run!

20. Wisconsin
A very sloppy win over a terrible Minnesota team is just the latest example of Wisconsin not playing up to its potential. But I did like the toughness Tyler Donovan showed against the Gophers with his legs. But speaking of Legs, Zach Brown was a manchild: 29 carries, 250 and 2 TDs.

19. Tennessee
Lucky, lucky. They better be sharp against the Wildcats this weekend or their bowl game won't be quite what they have their eyes on at this point.

18. Boise State
Time to look sharp in practice this week. Making me look good is on the line. Do you think Boise likes escaping the winter and heading to Hawaii?

17. Virginia
Anything that Al Groh picked up in the NFL needs to be in the playbook this weekend, and I wouldn't hope for another 1-2 point win over the Hokies. With UVA coming off a bye, they're going to need to come out sharp score early.

16. Illinois
The Big 10 purists cannot like what Illinois is cooking up. Juice Williams is going to burn teams for two more years in that conference with his arm and legs, so those purists better get used to it.

15. Boston College
It's important that Boston College finishes strong against Miami and uses the game to work out any last kinks before making a run at the conference title. And someone warn Matt Ryan, the ACC refs are terrible and it appears some Miami defenders like to headhunt. Just watch the video.

14. Hawaii
Does the run stop here? Or are they going to wake up and hang 500 points on Boise?

13. Florida
Can Florida sneak into the BCS? Well, it's possible and something worth keeping an eye on.

12. Texas
Finish strong. Exact some revenge against Texas A&M and make it to a good bowl game. If all that happens, it's been a decent season for the Longhorns who could finish the year in the Top 10.

11. Southern California
The race to play Ohio State starts on Thursday night. USC is very much in it if they can top Arizona State. It almost wouldn't be right to see USC play in the Rose Bowl. Everyone thought they were done for good...but not so much.

10. Oregon
I see it now: All of Oregon gathering at Brady Leaf's apartment after a big Thanksgiving meal and going nuts as they try and watch USC knock off the Sun Devils. An Arizona State win makes it rather difficult for Oregon to reach the Rose Bowl, assuming the Ducks win out.

9. Oklahoma
Man, what a tough loss. I think Saturday night proved that Sam Bradford is going to be an important part in Oklahoma winning at least 30-36 games the next three seasons. Yeah, you read that correctly.

8. Virginia Tech
Now that the Hokies are using their wide receivers, I will show them much more love. Josh Morgan and Justin Harper are two guys that have waited four years to make plays. Oh, and despite giving up 600 yards to LSU (and about 4000 yards in .002 seconds to BC), Virginia Tech has the No. 5 defense in the country.

7. Ohio State
Chris Wells might win a Heisman while he's in Columbus.

6. Arizona State
Just keeping winning. The conference title is theirs for the taking. Just don't eat too much turkey on Thursday...what's that stuff called in it that makes you sleepy? Tryptophan?

5. Georgia
I'm sticking to my guns about UGA being the hottest team in the country right now. It's too bad they will likely miss on a shot at LSU because that'd be a phenomenal game.

4. West Virginia
All WVU can do is take care of business the next two weeks and hope something goes their way on Dec. 1 in the Big 12. Rich Rodriguez should make Steve Slaton and Pat White carry footballs around campus and let students try and force fumbles ala Omar Epps in 'The Program.'

3. Missouri
There's not much to say because Saturday speaks for itself.

2. Kansas
See No. 3.

1. LSU
The time to not dominate opponents has passed. If history means anything, Arkansas will not be an easy win on Saturday. With the Les Miles to Michigan machine starting up and Darren McFadden having the chance to run his way back into the Heisman race, Saturday isn't a given.

By Adam Abramson

I bet you Oregon coach Mike Bellotti secretly wishes his back up quarterback was Joey Halzle.

Maybe that's harsh, but the Oklahoma backup looked much more solid than Oregon backup Brady Leaf. I know Leaf is dinged up, but Halzle was impressive as he settled into the game, all things considered.

Either way, I guess this year has been a pretty good statement for the importance of starting quarterbacks. Just ask the two mentioned teams, Southern California, West Virginia and Hawaii, to name a few.

It was so close to being a "normal" Saturday for the Top 25, but Oklahoma had to go ahead and keep things the way they've been all year. There's really no excuse. Looking ahead? Perhaps, but that's a little weird, considering it's Bob Stoops' program and he does things the right way.

So, what else did we learn this weekend?

A few things just from the upset:

1. 1. West Virginia has a great shot at playing for the title. And with all due respect to our local WVU reader, I just don't see WVU as a national title contender. Now, do any other schools out there look the part? Aside LSU, I say no. BNG and I have been saying it a lot lately: WVU better be careful with these turnovers. I do think that WVU-LSU would be a pretty entertaining title game because WVU has as much team speed as anyone not named LSU (if not the most). I'll go on record by saying it would be ridiculous if Ohio State leaped WVU in the polls.

2. 2. Michael Crabtree, the freshman wide receiver for Texas Tech, is the real deal. The vision and speed he showed on some of his catches against OU were enough to fill half a highlight reel. Against Texas and Oklahoma the last two weeks: 21 catches, 349 yards, 3 TDs. He's one of three guys in college football with 100 catches, the other two have 6 fewer touchdowns than Crabtree, combined.

3. 3. Lloyd Carr is out at Michigan. A lot of the college football minds I spoke with this weekend feel his legacy is defined by his ineptness against Ohio State. While I think it's something to be pointed out, Carr did a lot of good in keeping Michigan football relevant. I hope his era is remembered in a positive light, and I think it will. But the biggest question at this juncture is who will take over? All signs point to Les Miles. Will this be a black cloud that floats over the LSU program the next 6-7 weeks? It would be in Michigan's best interest to conduct a thorough search, checking out all options: Can they steal Turner Gill away from Nebraska (I'm assuming he's NU's first choice)? Can they land a big fish like Bob Stoops (doubtful, but that would rock college football)? Does Ron English get a shot (I'd like to see that)? Actually, the thorough search would be in LSU's best interest, now that I think about it.

4. 4. The ACC is taking shape. Matt Ryan looked like the leader he's been for Boston College all season and the Eagles are playing for the conference title because of it. On the other side, Virginia and Virginia Tech will play for the right to play on Dec. 1. For a conference that's been down and out, it could be a decent title game that will get no ratings.

5. 5. Tennessee is lucky. The SEC East could have been a free-for-all had Vanderbilt pulled the upset. It was actually a good football game, but the Volunteers need to show a lot more if they want to be taken seriously in the BCS in December.

6. 6. Missouri better not let Kansas hang around the way they let Kansas State this weekend. I'll say that for now.

7. 7. Tim Tebow is legit. He's the first player ever to have 20 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing in the same season. We'll be talking more about him on Wednesday, if you get my drift.
   

Picks: 8-7 ATS...oops. Still better than Lou Holtz, though.

By Adam Abramson

I really feel for Dennis Dixon.

In case you missed, the Oregon quarterback is set to go under the knife to repair a torn ACL suffered Thursday night against Arizona.

What's lost? Well, Thursday he kissed the championship game goodnight. If Brady Leaf looks as bad as he did Thursday, he kissed the Pac-10 championship goodbye (Oregon isn't even in first place at this point).

But most importantly, he kissed college football's biggest honor goodbye. It's a shame he didn't bow out of the Heisman race the same way that Brian Brohm, Darren McFadden (still arguable), DeSean Jackson and Ray Rice did.

Did he kiss goodbye millions of NFL dollars? Well, I pegged him as a first-day pick. His numbers this year earned him a shot in the NFL as a project for some team. Does the injury drop him to second day? Does he play baseball?

Either way, Dixon was a good ambassador for the Ducks. Campus Confidential wishes him the best.

Couple of things to follow up on...

1. Wow. 'Their' instead of 'they're'. Geesh is right.

2. West Virginia -6.5 at Cincinnati. BNG, I don't know how I missed this. I'm guessing Nos. 1 and 2 are linked. However, I don't see WVU winning this game by less than a touchdown. WVU is the only consistent thing left in the conference at this point.

3. Miami at Virginia Tech -17. I didn't pick this game originally for a few reasons. First, I have picking VT games because I'm usually wrong. Two, the spread is really big and I'm not really sure what to think, haha. But I understand I do have a lot of Virginia Tech readers, so that's my fault. I will take Virginia Tech to cover. It's senior day, Miami's problems are very grave and Virginia Tech has been cookin' since the BC loss.

By Adam Abramson

Man, there's so much to take away from last night's Oregon loss.

1. 1. You do NOT want to be ranked No. 2 this season. Yikes. I mean, nothing went right for Oregon. Very curse-like.
2. 2. You saw how important Dennis Dixon is to Oregon. It's further proof he should have been atop the Heisman race. Now the question is: Does the injury/loss eliminate him? If it drops him a few rungs, can he play his way back to the top? Will he play this year?

3. 3. Brady Leaf loves to stare at where he's going to throw the ball. He looks completely uncomfortable in the pocket. I know he was a little dinged up, but it was beyond ugly at times. Any throw over 5 yards was very ugly.

4. 4. Jaison Williams drops as many passes as he catches. Wow.

5. 5. Jonathan Stewart is a load. Before he went down with his injury, he was tough to tackle. It's a shame he can't play with Dixon as his quarterback next year.

6. 6. The crew officiating the game last night was terrible. TERRIBLE.

7. 7. Tough day for the Pacific Northwest (if San Fran is included in that region) with the Barry Bonds news and the Oregon loss.

8. 8. Wasting 800 words and an hour of research on a team that loses later in the evening is frustrating.