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Who are the coaches who can really win the 'big games'? Obama a curse for Irish

(11/30) I feel badly for the ACC. Both of the teams that will play for the conference title next week lost to middling SEC teams - Georgia Tech to Georgia and Clemson to South Carolina. There’s no way conference officials can spin that to make things right.

No matter that the Bulldogs ended with a 7-5 mark and beat the hated and heavily favored Yellow Jackets - head coach Mark Richt has got some soul-searching of his own to do before he announces his staff for next season.

Of the three top teams that played over the weekend, only top-ranked Florida came out seemingly deserving of a shot at the mythical national college title. The Gators thoroughly dominated the sad sack Seminoles while Texas allowed Texas A&M to score 39 points and Alabama barely scraped out a win over an out-manned Auburn team.

The really sad thing about both No. 7 Tech and No. 8 Pitt losing is that No. 9 Ohio State moved up the chart and we know what happens when the Buckeyes play out of their Zip code.

Nationally, with all but a handful of teams finished with their regular seasons, who were the biggest disappointments of the year? Here are a few, not necessarily in order: Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Ole Miss and Georgia.

The most pleasant surprises were Stanford, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Oregon State, Auburn and Oregon.

This from avid reader Joey Mac. Folks are talking about how some coaches are able to win the "big" football games. Some blogger compiled these won-lost records of selected coaches against teams that finished in the top 10 of the AP poll. Apparently Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Florida’s Urban Meyer are the only coaches to hold their own against top teams.

Record against teams in the top 10 of the final AP Poll:
Bob Stoops 11-8
Tommy Tuberville 7-18
Nick Saban 6-16
Urban Meyer 5-5
Kirk Ferentz 4-11
Mark Richt 3-8
Paul Johnson 0-1
Brian Kelly 0-4
Gary Patterson 0-4

Another interesting note from Joey: According to some wingnuts running loose out there, God is punishing Notre Dame's football team because the Irish invited President Barack Obama to speak at graduation. This startling bit of info was attributed to a minister in the midwest.

The mystery of Tiger Woods’ single-car accident in front of his home in Florida looks as if may forever remain just that. Woods isn’t required to speak to law enforcement officials and an official statement released on his web site simply says the accident was completely his fault. Of course,some of us had figured that out already since he was alone in the car and no other vehicle was involved.

And finally, Virginia fired head football coach Al Groh after the Cavaliers finished 3-9 and lost to arch-rival Virginia Tech for the eighth time in Groh’s nine year tenure.

This is Norman Arey and you need to think twice before you invite Barack Obama to speak.


I predict that Georgia Tech beats Georgia by 20; wait, Tech just scored again

(11/27) This is Norman Arey with Norman’s No-Nos, where I predict the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was 12-3, 114-66 for the year (63.3%).

CLEMSON at SOUTH CAROLINA - Gamecocks’ Steve Spurrier has forgotten more football than Dabo Swinney knows. Plus the game’s in Columbia before a rabid bunch. South Carolina pulls the upset. NO-NO. Tigers’ C.J. Spiller won’t succumb, ‘Cocks beheaded, 28-24.

FLORIDA STATE at FLORIDA - A couple of things going against the Seminoles from the get-go. The Gators are playing their last home game and Tim Tebow is playing his last home game. But FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews is coaching his last game. FSU pulls the stunner. NO-NO. Only ones stunned are the ‘Nole players, lose 45-17.

NOTRE DAME at STANFORD - Under ordinary circumstances, the Irish’s luck would kick-in. NO-NO. Ain’t no circumstances ordinary around Palo Alto. Cardinal has played inspired, Fighting Irish are just fighting among themselves, Golden Domers go down, 35-22.

NORTH CAROLINA at N.C. STATE - The Tar Heels’ have long memories and haven’t forgotten the 41-10 drubbing it absorbed at home last year. Wolfpack has been a monumental disappointment this season. ‘Pack salvages season. NO-NO. ‘Heels stomp on State, 35-13.

OKLAHOMA STATE at OKLAHOMA - The smart money is on Oklahoma State, but there’s a reason why the Sooners hold something like an 80-15 advantage in the past. Cowboys win and they may get a BCS invite. NO-NO. They’re CowBoys, not CowMen, lose 33-31.

ARKANSAS at LSU - This one could be filled with fireworks. The ‘Hogs’ Ryan Mallett will challenge the Tiger defense by throwing at least 50 times. LSU will counter with superior talent at almost every other position. Razorbacks ride Mallett to upset. NO-NO. Defense carries the day as Pigs are roasted, 28-22.

GEORGIA at GEORGIA TECH - To play defense against the Yellow Jackets’ Option Spread Offense, a team must have (1) discipline, (2) good tackling. The Bulldogs have neither. In order for Georgia to be successful offensively, it must have the ball. Tech doesn’t give up the ball without a grudge. Jackets are a 7-points favorite. NO-NO, it should be more. Bulldogs struggle mightily, see their record drop to 6-6 and head for Shreveport or Memphis, losing 48-28.

Other losers:

Virginia to Virginia Tech, Syracuse to UConn, Duke to Wake Forest, Kentucky to Tennessee, Mississippi State to Ole Miss, Maryland to Boston College, South Florida to Miami, and UCLA to Southern Cal.

This is Norman Arey and, hold on, Tech just scored again.

The joke turned out to be no joke and believe it that Tech is having the last laugh

(11/26) Probably nothing I present today is going to be news. It’s not designed to be. It’s more of a vent, albeit a positive one.

When the Yellow Jackets fired Chan Gailey after the 2007 season, athletics director Dan Radakovich promised to go out and find the most exciting, dynamic, personable, gregarious, heavy resume-totin’, walking-on-water-type person he could persuade to come to Atlanta to take Tech’s football program to -- the next level, where else?

Presumably Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll weren’t called but just about everyone else was considered. And the line of applicants spilled out of the back of the athletics department on Bobby Dodd Way and circled the adjoining Grant Field.

Well, maybe a lot of that is hyperbole, but on Dec. 7, Paul Johnson was introduced as head coach. Paul Johnson? Dynamic, no. Exciting, no. Personable, no, at least not publicly. Gregarious, um, not exactly. Strong resume? Not exactly. Walking-on-water, maybe (he did come from Navy).

Johnson was a man known not to suffer fools gladly. How was he possibly going to juggle the left-brained, right-brained alums of this engineering school and maintain his job? He’s just not the patting on the back type. Who’s going to speak to all of those Yellow Jacket clubs? Who’s gonna rally the givers to keep on giving and put butts in seats? Who’s gonna help Radakovich pay off the huge debt he inherited from Dave Braine and George O’Leary?

Johnson showed up with this wing-ding offense that has been called many things and whether Johnson likes it or not, it is in fact a super-sized Wishbone with bells and whistles.

Well, suddenly Tech was the brunt of all college football jokes and dire predictions.

(1) That offense will never work against major college football defenses.

(2) He can’t recruit kids who want to play that kind of football.

(3) He might have luck at first but everyone will figure it out quickly.

(4) If they get behind, they can’t catch up.

(5) They can’t throw.

And then after he arrived, players were dropping like flies, quitting, transferring, leaving and not letting the door hit them in the backside on their way out.

OK. It’s been the better part of two years and 24 games now since Johnson brought his Naval Academy and Georgia Southern pedigree to The Flats and his teams have won 19. There’s more than a good chance that the Jackets could win 22 games under Johnson in two years. That’s, well, Dooleyesque - or maybe Doddesque.

And speaking of Dooley and Dodd. Neither of them won 19 games during their first two seasons, much less had a chance at 22.

This is Norman Arey and the morale of this story is, don’t judge a book by its . . . well, you know.

Never thought I'd say it but Lane Kiffin has done an outstanding job with the Vols

(Nov. 25)  As if Notre Dame didn’t already have enough trouble with a 6-5 record and a head coach apparently on the ropes, junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen was punched out outside a South Bend bar early Sunday morning and came away with bruised pride and at least one black eye. No details on the incident were available.

In an interview, Irish coach Charlie Weis made his departure sound like a fait d’accompli when asked if he’d probably be coaching in the NFL next season. "I’m more respected there. I’m more well-liked there." And if he’s gone, where would his son, Charlie Jr., go to college? "I can tell you where he won’t be going," said Weis.

The headline in the AJC blurted "Mark Richt: ‘All Ice, No Fire.’ The accompanying article questioned whether the amicable Georgia coach is too mild mannered. I say Bull Feathers! What do the Bulldog fans want, a Mark Mangino? Would showing emotion on the sidelines help Richt call better plays, make better decisions? Stupid concept.

Three reasons to watch the Florida State-Florida game Saturday.

- (1) It’s Tim Tebow’s final home game.

-(2) FSU’s defense is ranked 106th in the nation.

-(3) The Gators are playing for their first 12-0 season in 14 years.

And just for the record, Florida head football coach Urban Meyer denied for the 832nd time that he will be going to Notre Dame when Charlie Weis is fired. Meyer said he’ll be at Florida as long as the Gators will have him. So there!

The Syracuse basketball team made the biggest jump in AP Poll history this week. The Orange beat both California and North Carolina by an average of 19 points and jumped from unranked to No. 10.

Here’s how much the landscape in college football has changed. Remember when Southern Cal vs. UCLA was a big deal? Texas-Texas A&M? Oklahoma-Oklahoma State? Notre Dame and anybody? Florida vs. Florida State. Ho-Hum

And finally, since I personally have given the guy such a hard time, let me say that Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin seems to know what he’s doing and where he’s headed. The Vols will play in some bowl, they will have an outstanding recruiting season and could very well be a co-favorite in the SEC East next year and no matter what you think, Kiffin’s big mouth is good for the sport.

This is Norman Arey and I have empathy for anybody who’s accused of having a big mouth.


Here's what the Irish need to do: Join the Big 10, give Charlie Weis a contract extension

(11/24) SI.Com sponsored a football fan poll and more than 33,000 responded to a plethora of questions. One was who had the "rudest fans in the land." The winners were West Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU and Florida. The most polite fans reside at Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Nebraska and Stanford. Interesting that with the exception of the Cornhuskers, the polite fans support programs that aren’t very successful year end and year out.

Another question asked who their biggest rival was in their conference. North Carolina fans had a hard time making up their minds whether it was N.C. State or Duke. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack and Blue Devil fans had no such problem. The all hate the Tar Heels.

One word on Ole Miss’ 25-23 upset of LSU over the weekend. The game wasn’t really as close as the final score might indicate. The Rebels outgained the Tigers 426 yards to 290. . . Not that it will make any difference but the Chicago Tribune suggested in an editorial this week that Notre Dame revisit its offer to join the Big 10.

Significant note about the National Football League. The league is implementing a policy immediately that if a player suffers a concussion, he may not be allowed back to practice or a game until he is cleared not only by the team doctor but by an independent neurologist.

Several articles appeared Monday saying Jimmie Johnson is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time because of the fact that he has now won four straight titles. Sorry but they don’t call Richard Petty "The King" for no reason.

Allow me a say on the Notre Dame situation. Yes, I do believe Charlie Weis will be fired and no, I don’t believe the Irish’s first phone call will be to Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly or Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops. I believe, no matter what you hear, that the Notre Dame brass will place a call to Florida’s Urban Meyer. And I believe he may take it. Meyer has won two titles in the past three years and is in line to win a third. Even if he doesn’t win a third, he loses arguably the best college football player there has ever been in Tim Tebow and he’s had the Gators in first place the entire year. What else can the guy do in Gainesville? Plus, can the Irish afford another mistake? They’ve made three straight in Bob Davies, Ty Willingham and Weis. I think Urban goes to South Bend.

And finally, this is Rivalry Week in college football. If you don’t love this week, you ain’t a fan. Georgia plays Georgia Tech, Alabama takes on Auburn, Florida tries Florida State, West Virginia plays Pitt, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State meet, UCLA and Southern Cal renew hostilities, South Carolina challenges Clemson, Utah and BYU do battle and Texas and Texas A&M hook up.

This is Norman Arey and not being a Notre Dame fan, I think Charlie Weis should be given a contract extension.

With seemingly half the college coaches on the hot seat, it is time for the season to end

(11/23) Let me get this straight. Sad sack Syracuse, led by ex-Duke basketball player Greg Paulus, beat No. 25 Rutgers; Connecticut, just up from the Division I-AA ranks, whipped the once-storied Irish of Notre Dame; and Georgia lost to Kentucky in Athens for the first time in 32 years despite being a nine-and-one-half-point favorite over the Wildcats.

For the Bulldogs, it was a horrid week. Their dog died and now they have nothing to look forward to in the way of salvaging a trip to a decent bowl. But Mark Richt can’t pass on the blame beyond his own team. Georgia has turned the ball over 26 times this season which has resulted in 102 points for its opponents. Georgia is minus 18 in giving the ball up this year.

The Bulldogs go to Atlanta this weekend with a 6-5 record with little chance of upsetting Georgia Tech. Strange to write that - upsetting Georgia Tech.

The hated Jackets have much bigger fish to fry than the Dawgs. They have a date with Clemson in the ACC title game already assured and a win sends them to a BCS bowl.

About Tech and the ACC title game. If the Jackets should lose to Clemson, some prognosticators have the Techsters falling into the Gator Bowl, being by-passed by the Chick-Fil-A folks who don’t want back-to-back Tech appearances in the Atlanta extravaganza. And the Gator Bowl opponent most mentioned -- Notre Dame. Forget the Irish could be 6-6 by that time, some bowls will take anybody.

Meanwhile, the strange team that is Oklahoma lost by a 41-13 score to Texas Tech and you can’t blame what’s going on in Norman on injured Sam Bradford. The Sooners are in deep trouble and could finish the year at 6-6.

I don’t want to hear anymore about how superior the Southeastern Conference is. Georgia, at 4-4, is the second place team in the SEC East and Ole Miss at 4-3 is in the same spot in the West.

If the mood could get any darker in Athens, it did when the basketball Bulldogs lost a second straight game, this time to UAB, by 16 points. The Georgia basketball team also was beaten by Wofford last week.

And amidst all this, Georgia Southern announced the contract of football coach Chris Hatcher won’t be renewed. Things are tough all over.

And by the way, Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit have been named announcers for the Rose Bowl and for the mythical national college championship football game.

Overall, it’s time for this college season to end.

There’s no way everybody is going to be happy about how things turn out. With six undefeated teams still remaining, the BCS could have its biggest mess ever. I almost find myself pulling for a TCU-Boise State title match.

This is Norman Arey and I’m still no sure why Mark Richt never gave any of his quarterbacks any meaningful reps.

 

UCONN wins one, I think, by using the rallying cry ‘Remember the Naval Academy’

(11/20) This is Norman Arey with Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week, I was 11-4, 102-63 for the year (61.8 percent).

KENTUCKY at GEORGIA - Bulldogs are playing to get out of a trip to Shreveport. Kentucky catches ‘em napping, dreaming about beating Georgia Tech next week. NO-NO. Bulldogs are bad, but not that bad. Wildcats are caged, 28-24.

OHIO STATE at MICHIGAN - Buckeyes have already clinched the Big 10 title and a Rose Bowl trip. Michigan needs the win just to get bowl eligible. Wolverines finally win one for Rich Rodriguez. NO-NO. As much as I hate it, Big Blue is outmanned, lose 42-28.

VIRGINIA at CLEMSON - Cavaliers are 8-36 against the Tigers overall. Al Groh knows he’s going to be unemployed. Eye of the Tiger is on an ACC title trip to play Georgia Tech. Wahoos surprise. NO-NO. The only surprise is the lopsided score, UVA paddled, 42-13.

NORTH CAROLINA at BOSTON COLLEGE - Carolina’s Butch Davis is the fourth highest paid coach in the ACC but the ‘Heels aren’t the fourth most winning team. Eagles have flown higher than anyone expected. BC wins. NO-NO. Eagles plummet, lose 27-24.

UCONN at NOTRE DAME - Huskies’ coach Randy Edsall has labored long and hard to get UConn up and running. Charlie Weiss has labored long and hard with little results. Still, Irish are at home and beat the Dogs. NO-NO. Remember the Naval Academy! Irish go down, 21-20.

LSU at OLE MISS - Amazing that the Tigers go to Oxford as an underdog. Rebels have raised their game recently. Rebs have the better quarterback in Jevan Snead and justify the betting line. NO-NO. Bayou people have better overall talent, Ole Miss loses a close one, 31-30.

OREGON at ARIZONA - The Ducks want to go to Pasadena for the first time since Nike was born. Arizona has a coach named Stoops who may be as good as the one in Oklahoma. Wildcats win one for the Stooper. NO-NO. Ducks spread their wings (can’t believe I wrote that,) soar past ‘Zona, 42-21.

MARYLAND at FLORIDA STATE - Terps’ Ralph Freidgen’s year has been tough, but not as tough as the Seminoles’ old man. This is a must win for ‘Noles - hey, also for Terrapins. FSU drops a chance to become bowl eligible. NO-NO. Terps roll over, lose 48-28.

Others Losers - Vanderbilt to Tennessee, N.C. State to Virginia Tech, Mississippi State to Arkansas, Michigan State to Penn State, Cal to Stanford, Duke to Miami and Louisville to South Florida.

This is Norman Arey and I admit I’m not so sure about the Notre Dame-UConn matchup.

Sorry, Bulldog basketball fans, but big-time schools just don't lose to Wofford

(11/19) North Carolina’s Roy Williams has no one to blame but himself for the Tar Heels’ schedule over the next eight games when they play five ranked teams. Beginning tonight, Carolina will meet Ohio State, then Cal or Syracuse, Michigan State, Kentucky and then Texas.

If the early returns are any indication, this should be one whale of a college basketball season. No. 1 Kansas barely avoided an upset by Memphis, No. 2 Michigan State hung on to survive against Gonzaga, No. 12 UConn saw Hofstra take it to the limits and No. 19 Georgetown edged Temple by one.

Sorry Bulldog basketball fans, but the Mark Fox era isn’t off to a good start. I don’t care who you are, a major program shouldn’t be losing to Wofford. . . Meanwhile Tennessee set a school scoring record by dismantling UNC-Asheville, 124-49. The score at the half saw the Vols up by a 66-14 score.

I’ve seen numerous bowl projections for Georgia Tech. I’ve even seen some that predicted the Yellow Jackets would lose to Clemson in the ACC title game and play Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. The one that makes the most sense to me is Tech taking on TCU in the Orange Bowl.

The AJC addressed the rumors that Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson might be enticed to coach at Notre Dame. The newspaper gave five reasons why it probably won’t happen, but the one I thought of as well as they is that NBC would not want to televise an Irish team that runs the football more than 80 percent of the time as Tech does. It’s just not sexy enough, way too blue collar for the Royal Ones and Johnson doesn’t suffer alumni fools gladly. No way, Jose. Besides, Tech is getting ready to pile some more money on him.

Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel points out that SEC fans are spoiled because they always have a great conference title game. But that isn’t true around the country. Remember that titanic ACC struggle when Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech 9-6 in 2006? And, Mandel says, don’t forget the Big XII games - Oklahoma 42, Colorado 3 in 2004, Texas 70, Colorado 3 the following year and then Oklahoma 62, Missouri 21 in 2008.

In an interview with USA Today, Bobby Bowden’s wife Ann basically dared Florida State to fire her husband. Admitting he wants one more year, she said, "You know, we don’t need the university as much as it needs us - as much as they need him with his connections, reputation and everything."

This is Norman Arey and I’m looking forward to football season ending and basketball starting.

Wait just a minute before you anoint Kentucky as this year's top college basketball team

(11/18) How wide open is the Heisman Trophy race? Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, as a past winner, gets a vote and the Gator player says he has no idea who he’ll vote for at this time.

Former Georgia Tech football assistant and later Atlanta Falcon head coach Jerry Glanville just got fired as head coach at Portland State. He was 9-24 at the Division I-AA school in three seasons.

Writing for ESPN.com, former AJC reporter Mark Schlabach has a good piece on three of the hottest coaches in the country - Stanford’s Jim Haubaugh, TCU’s Gary Patterson and Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson. Schlabach’s premise is that each of the teams has taken on their head coaches’ mentality. I agree.

I have followed all of the basketball news out of Kentucky since the Wildcats hired John Calipari as head savior for its brand name basketball team. Yeah, they signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and yes, Patrick Patterson decided to come back for another year and eschewed the NBA. But wait. Before we anoint them world champs, look at Monday night’s game against mighty Miami of Ohio. Top rated freshman recruit John Wall had to hit a jumper with .05 remaining for a two-point victory.

And speaking of Calipari, his replacement at Memphis, little known Josh Pastner, has signed what is being regarded as the No. 1 basketball recruiting class for 2010.

Former Georgia Tech basketball assistant Dereck Whittenburg’s Fordham team lost to Maine and Fairfield in a three-day period to kick off its season while Perry Clark’s Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team upset Oregon State to open its campaign.

It could be that Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez is in trouble in Ann Arbor after all. His contract specifically spells out that he can be fired for any NCAA offense. The NCAA is looking into the Wolverines’ record-keeping chronicling the hours the players spend on football. Evidently Rodriguez’ record-keeping hasn’t met standards.

And by the way, if you need to make plans for Thanksgiving weekend, the Georgia Tech-Georgia game will be televised by ABC beginning at 8 p.m.

And finally, the BCS has created a new position and named Bill Hancock as its Executive Director. The job used to rotate among the BCS conference commissioners. This can’t be good news for Hancock. Now he has to take all the heat each year from disappointed her coaches and maybe even defend his organization in front of the U.S. Congress.

This is Norman Arey and I think Tim Tebow should vote for himself.

Surely Notre Dame isn't contemplating hiring another Georgia Tech coach

(11/17) There’s no doubt this is a new era in college football. Five of the top 25 teams in the BCS standings are from non-BCS conferences and two of the top six are from smaller leagues. If you want to know who’s playing the best among the five, take a look at TCU’s last five games. The Horned Frogs have outscored their opponents 233-53.

With six teams still undefeated with two weeks left to go, when is the last time that many teams were unbeaten? The answer is 2004 when Southern Cal, Auburn, Oklahoma, Utah and Boise State all finished their regular seasons without a loss.

Do you think C.J. Spiller is making a splash nationally? Last week against N.C. State, the speedy tailback became the first player in Tiger history to run, throw and catch for a touchdown in the same game.

The Washington Post reports that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who has run the Hokie defense for 23 years, is interested in the University of Memphis job. Foster has had several opportunities to leave Blacksburg in the past.

With so little time left in the season, this is one of the few years I can remember when the Heisman Trophy seems to be totally undecided. You can make a case for at least a half dozen players including Tim Tebow of Florida, Texas’ Colt McCoy, Alabama’s Mark Ingram, Stanford’s Toby Gerhart, Houston’s Case Keenum and even Clemson’s C.J. Spiller.

When All-World high school basketball recruit Harrison Barnes announced he would play at North Carolina, it was quite a catch for Tar Heel coach Roy Williams. Williams had stalked Barnes for 16 months and admitted it was the hardest he had ever recruited one player.

With Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on the ropes, there are dozens of rumors out there about who might replace the rotund one. Obviously Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has been mentioned, but get this. So has Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson. Guess the Irish have short memories about hiring Yellow Jacket coaches.

I guess the good news for Ohio State fans is that the boring Buckeyes won’t have to play Pete Carroll and Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl.

Remember the stat that the Atlanta Falcons have never had back-to-back winning seasons in their history? The way they’ve been playing, I’m not sure whether that statistic might be in play again this season.

This is Norman Arey and if I had a vote, I’d vote for Tim Tebow for the Heisman.

It's finally all over for Southern Cal and Notre Dame; can Tech move up?

(11/16) This is Norman Arey and here’s what I saw over the weekend in college football. For once, there were no real shockers.

We don’t have pretend anymore that everything is going to be all right at Southern Cal and Notre Dame. Things are badly askew in both Zip codes and its anybody’s guess how they’re going to get straightened out.

The long knives will be out for Charlie Weis in South Bend and I definitely see a change coming there. Pete Carroll has no such job security worries but it can’t be comfortable to see not just one contender in his Pac-10 rear view mirror but maybe two or three.

And is Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh a doozy? With the Cardinal leading 48-21, Harbaugh ordered a two-point conversion try. What a guy.

I’m not sure about the SEC being the strongest conference around but nine of the 12 league teams are already bowl eligible and Tennessee just needs one more win to make it 10.

Its still amazing that there are still six undefeated teams left with only two games remaining in the season.

Teams that have disappointed this season would make a long list but Miami, Florida State, Maryland, South Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Georgia, Texas Tech and West Virginia would be in my top 10. Not including the afore mentioned Irish and Trojans.

If you happen to be a member of the Yellow Jacket nation, you have to love the fact that Georgia Tech went up to Duke and took care of business, and then turned around and went home. No muss, no fuss, no drama, just a sound whipping.

Tech is going to have a tough time moving up from its current position in the BCS poll with Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State playing so efficiently.

Georgia showed some grit in falling behind a mediocre Auburn team and then coming back to win. I would have still enjoyed seeing one of the freshmen quarterbacks get some meaningful playing time. It’s not gonna happen this year and you wonder where that leaves them entering next season.

If, in fact, Notre Dame decides to make a change, who are they going to get that’s better than who it has? Despite the rumors, I don’t see Urban Meyer leaving Florida and it may be a little early for Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly to take the Irish helm. Kelly’s resume needs some fluffing because stops at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan doesn’t do much to fill out his resume. As for the love affair between Lou Holtz and the Irish, I can’t see them hiring Skip Holtz as their next coach. Ah well, I guess we’ll see.

Incidentally, I keep hearing that Terry Bowden is going to be the next head coach at Memphis.

Don’t look now but Ohio State will be going to a BCS bowl again this year for its fifth straight trip. No matter what you think of the Buckeyes, that’s pretty darn impressive.

There are seven teams out there that already have won 10 games and one of them is Georgia Tech.

And just a thought but one of the most sought-after coaches in the country could be Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo if some teams decide to run Paul Johnson’s offense. Next to Johnson, the Middie coach knows more about it than anyone else.

This is Norman Arey and why not Tommy Bowden for Notre Dame?

Another disappointment for Jacket followers? No-no. This ain't your Tech of old.

(11/13) This is Norman Arey with Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week I was a woeful 8-7, 91-59 for the year. Believe me, it’s nothing I’m proud of here.

IOWA at OHIO STATE - If this had been played last week, Iowa was undefeated and might have had a chance. Heck, it still does. Hawkeyes hang one on the Buckeyes. NO-NO. Ohio State will get a BCS bid, but who really cares. Hawkeyes blasted by Bucks, 35-17.

FLORIDA STATE at WAKE FOREST - The mess that is Florida State football takes its show on the road to Winston-Salem. It won’t play any better there than anywhere else. Wait! Seminoles stand up. NO-NO. Demon Deacons play through the dreck, FSU scalped, 24-21.

TENNESSEE at OLE MISS - This was an automatic ‘W’ for the Rebels in September, but not now. Lane Kiffin and his million-dollar staff have the Vols primed for all comers. Johnny Rebs fight for the win. NO-NO. Vols are to be reckoned with, rush past Ole Miss, 28-24.

NOTRE DAME at PITT - You know how I feel without my saying it. BUT, Irish just can’t seem to get it together under Charlie Weis. Pitt is having its best year since Johnny Majors was king. Luck changes for the Irish. NO-NO. It changes for the worse, Domers lose, 33-22.

STANFORD at USC - Cardinal has surprised everyone and is riding high. Southern Cal has disappointed everyone and is barely hanging on. Stanford continues its surprising march. NO-NO. The buck stops here, Cardinal wonders what hit it in a 42-14 Trojan whipping.

CLEMSON at N.C. STATE - Everyone that believes in Clemson raise your hand. I see no hands. The Tigers have disappointed too many times. Wolfpack is an absolute abomination this year. Tom O’Brien out coaches Dabo Swinney. NO-NO. ‘Pack doesn’t have the hosses, loses 28-20.

Others losers: Virginia to BC, Vandy to Kentucky, South Carolina to Florida, Mississippi State to Alabama, Miami to North Carolina, Arizona State to Oregon and UTEP to SMU.

AND BY THE WAY

AUBURN at GEORGIA - Auburn has won seven and is fighting for a decent bowl. Georgia is fighting for a winning season. Bulldogs have the advantage on this one. NO-NO. Dawgs have that hang-dog expression, War Eagle continues soaring, UGA takes it on the chin, 34-28.

GEORGIA TECH at DUKE - How many times have the poor Jacket followers been disappointed over the past 43 years? Here’s yet another one to put in their Hall of Shame. NO-NO. This ain’t your Tech of old. Paul Johnson won’t let it happen, Blue Devils fall, 44-28.

This is Norman Arey and I feel a big weekend coming on for my very excellent picks.


Nobody wants to play Boise State; Clemson coach about to become instant millionaire

(11/12) The Atlantic Coast Conference just signed up with nine bowls, making it likely that just about everyone in the league can go to post-season play. And if you’re interested, right now there are 49 teams in the country bowl-eligible and 21 more with five wins. Bottom line: Too many bowls.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson says Boise State is making an attempt to upgrade its schedule in the future but has been turned down by 10 or 11 teams. What Benson didn’t say was that the Broncos want a $1 million guarantee. And who wants to play them anyway? Boise certainly isn’t a guaranteed win.

If Georgia should beat Auburn this weekend, it would give the Bulldogs a four-game winning streak over the Tigers for the first time since the 1940s.

The Charleston (S.C.) Post-Courier reports that if Clemson wins the ACC this year, coach Dabo Swinney’s annual compensation jumps from $800,000 to $2 million. That would make the Tigers’ coach the fifth football member of the $2 million club in the ACC, joining FSU’s Bobby Bowden ($2.5 million), Tech’s Paul Johnson ($2.3), Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer ($2.1) and Carolina’s Butch Davis ($2.0).

How’s this for filling in? Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros stepped in at quarterback for Tony Pike when Pike was injured three weeks ago. Since then, the Bearcats have scored 116 points, he’s thrown for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns, ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns and he’s suffered zero interceptions.

I, for one, was quite happy to see that South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier plans on returning next season. In fact, the Gamecock coach said he planned on being around for three or four more years. South Carolina is 6-4 with games remaining against top-ranked Florida and No. 23 Clemson.

Basketball season is happening this week and in that vein, Yahoo!Sports listed Georgia’s hiring of basketball coach Mark Fox of Nevada as one of its most puzzling hires. The internet site wondered how Fox will do coaching against SEC east coaches John Calipari, Billy Donovan, Kevin Stallings, Bruce Pearl and Darrin Horn. Remember that Fox has never coached east of the Mississippi. Isiah Thomas at Florida International also made the list. The best hire was a unanimous vote for Kentucky’s hiring of Calipari.

This is Norman Arey and Zach Collaros for The Heisman.

This is newly plowed ground for Georgia Tech and ain't it fun?

(11/11) Allow me just a moment for some ruminations, please.

Underscoring, with a heavy dark pen, that things are changing on the college football landscape, particularly in this state, consider this. Georgia will meet Auburn in a big showdown in Athens between two of the storied programs in the South. In fact, it will be the 113th meeting between the two old antagonists.

BUT, in Durham, N.C. in tiny Wallace Wade Stadium on Duke University’s campus, more eyes across the country will be trained on the Blue Devils hosting the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. There is a potential conference title on the line in North Carolina for the Jackets while the Bulldogs and Tigers have nothing left to play for other than pride and a fight to escape a trip to Shreveport.

Pile on top of that, that TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati are in a position to secure a spot in the mythical national championship game and you see that things just ain’t what they used to be.

But wait! Georgia Tech is the highest ranked one-loss team in the country. With a combination of about 10 or more things happening, the Jackets might play in the world championship of college football. But if you really want the truth, I can’t see Tech moving up any higher than where they are.

And also remember this. Paul Johnson has obviously put together a pretty good coaching staff. If you keep up with the big business of college football recruiting, no where will you find Georgia Tech’s name mentioned. Truly amazing.

I’m not pointing any fingers but why do so many bad actors come out of Virginia Tech? To name a few, how about Marcus Vick, DeAngelo Hall and Michael Vick.

You know what I’m hearing about the upcoming bowl lineups? Even with Notre Dame’s record against Navy, the Gator Bowl can’t wait to match-up the not-so-fighting Irish against the Hurricanes of Miami.

Just when you thought you had heard the last about lousy officials in the SEC for the year, there was yet another controversial call in the Alabama-LSU game. And once again, for all you conspiracy theorists out there, the call went the Crimson Tide’s way. The whispering is that the SEC is protecting its top two teams in Alabama and Florida and every controversy has involved one of the two. I don’t believe there is a conspiracy, but still. . .

And finally, Cal’s electric running back Jahvid Best was released from the hospital this week after being knocked unconscious with a concussion in the Bears’ loss to Oregon State. It was Best’s second concussion in eight days. Question: Why the heck was he playing?

This is Norman Arey and I didn’t go to Virginia Tech.

If this commentary is bad, it's not my fault. Look to South Bend for blame

(11/10) How about this for a sobering thought? Alabama, Texas and Florida are just one loss away from shoving a Cincinnati-TCU mythical national championship game on the unsuspecting U.S. college football fan. What a country.

Venerable ex-AJC sportswriter Frank Hyland has written a book titled ‘The Sportin’ Life of Lewis Grizzard.’ You can find a copy on Barnes&Noble.com, Amazon.com or authorhouse.com. Hyland and Grizzard were roommates back in the ‘70s and remained friends. The brilliant writer knows of what he writes.

Georgia Tech’s No. 7 ranking in the polls ties for the highest the Yellow Jackets have been ranked since Nov. 1, 1999. Of course, back then the Jackets lost the next week.

With college basketball beginning by week’s end and into next week, the early favorites are Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and North Carolina. The Tar Heels have got talent no doubt but are young. I’m not sure they can reload this quickly after losing four of five starters.

Uh-oh. Tiger Woods has offended the architectural police with his new home going up on trendy Jupiter Island. The house is described as looking like a cross between a budget motel and an ocean side nursing home.

This qualifies as startling news. Rogers Redding, the SEC head of officials, says there’s nothing wrong with the officiating of SEC football games this year. "I think we’ve had a really good year so far," he said.

As if things weren’t bad enough at Florida State, quarterback Christian Ponder will miss this week’s game against Wake Forest because of a separated shoulder. He will be replaced by freshman E.J. Manuel. The Seminoles are trying to avoid their first losing season in 33 years.

Not news but interesting. When Georgia entertains Auburn this weekend, it will be the 113th meeting between the two, making it the oldest rivalry in the Deep South. The Tigers lead the series, 53-51-8, and have an 18-10 edge in games played in Athens. The road team has won nine of the last 14 games.

Notre Dame’s loss to Navy over the weekend wasn’t coach Charlie Weis’ fault. It was the players, according to Weis.

And finally, when Florida meets Alabama in the SEC title game in Atlanta on Dec. 5 at 4 p.m., it will mark the seventh time the two have meet in the grand finale. The Gators lead the Tide by a 4-2 mark.

This is Norman Arey and when my commentaries are bad, it isn’t me. It’s Charlie Weis’ fault.

Are we seeing the last year of Steve Spurrier? We should be seeing the last of Charlie Weis

(11/9) We went into the college football weekend with seven undefeated teams and there are still six after Iowa went down to Northwestern. Folks, that’s a lot of teams this late in the season without a loss. It may be that there will be more than two or three unbeaten by the time the season ends. Then what, BCS?

Some things change, some don’t. It must be November since Ohio State is positioning itself to yet again represent the Big 10 in the BCS as Penn State and Iowa fell by the wayside.

Big trouble for at least two big programs. Notre Dame must acknowledge the elephant in the room and cut its losses and go out and hire a coach. Charlie Weis has overseen the Fighting Irish lose two out of three to Navy. At the same time, Rich Rodriguez is having a terrible time trying to right the Wolverine tumble. It’s significant that perhaps Michigan’s greatest win this season was over Notre Dame. I believe Rodriguez knows what he’s going; he just needs to do it faster.

In fact make that three programs in deep trouble. There’s no denying that Florida State is one big mess and the once proud Seminoles just plain stink on defense. Even with defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews announcing this would be his last year, his players didn’t rally to win one for the Mick. Well, heck, add Oklahoma to the list. The Sooners aren’t very good with or without Sam Bradford.

Sad to have to admit that Steve Spurrier was right. I’m beginning to believe that he is what he claimed he was before the season started - a 7-5 type coach. It’s a true mystery why a state school like South Carolina can’t build a football program. Never has and it doesn’t look like it ever will. If Spurrier and Lou Holtz couldn’t get it done, where does that leave you?

He did what? Paul Johnson ordered his Yellow Jackets to go for the first down on fourth-and-one rather than kick a field goal in overtime to tie Wake Forest. Of course, you know they made it and won the game on the next play. No matter which way you cut it, that’s gutsy --maybe a little crazy, too.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram has to be taken as a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy. In fact, I might put him in the lead right now. He’s rushed for more than 1,100 yards and caught 24 passes.

Two of the most underachieving programs in the country played each other this weekend and Maryland managed to underachieve N.C. State in the end. Ralph Freidgen, please call Charlie Weis.

Auburn is probably a little better than we thought and Georgia is a little worse than we thought and that should make for a great game this weekend when the Tigers travel to Athens.

This is Norman Arey and I’m gonna miss Spurrier.

An upset in Athens? 'Bama is on cruise control; Tech cements first place in ACC

(11/6) This is Norman Arey with my Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week I was 9-6, 83-52 for the year (61.5 percent).

WAKE FOREST at GEORGIA TECH - The two best coaches in the ACC square off in Atlanta. Deacons have had an off-year and manage to set things right with a win. NO-NO. Tech is a powerhouse and will outscore a hobbled Riley Skinner and mates, 45-35.

TENNESSEE TECH at GEORGIA - The 5-3 Double-Ts are coached by Watson Brown, a pretty fair coach. Bulldogs are 4-4. The time is right for an astounding upset. NO-NO. The only upset is that Willie Martinez may actually out scheme someone. Golden Eagles lose, 38-14.

LSU at ALABAMA - This one should be a slobber-knocker. The Tigers are under appreciated and have good athletes - good enough to upset the Tide. NO-NO. I’ve become an Alabama believer and the Bayou Boys simply can’t slow them down, LSU loses 21-14.

OHIO STATE at PENN STATE - Looks to be about dead-even. Buckeyes’ Terrell Pryor has taken a lot of grief this season. Penn State is still a mystery after opening with three cupcakes. Nittany Lions take it. NO-NO. I think Jim Tressel will inspire Pryor, Lions de-clawed, 28-24.

DUKE at NORTH CAROLINA - Ordinarily this would be a no-brainer. But these aren’t ordinary times. Blue Devils’ quarterback Thad Lewis is a gun-slinger. Tar Heels’ are up and down. I hesitantly pick Carolina. NO-NO. Can’t do it. Devils swarm ‘Heel defense, 31-24.

SOUTH CAROLINA at ARKANSAS - The Gamecocks are in their usual last-of-the-year swoon. Arkansas may be the best 4-4 team in the country. Hogs pass ‘em silly. NO-NO. Steve Spurrier rallies his team out of their doldrums, Arkansas just can’t score last, lose 42-39.

FLORIDA STATE at CLEMSON - Seminoles’ turmoil crosses state lines. Tigers can play with anyone but aren’t reliable. Clemson picks this day to be up. NO-NO. I think Seminoles win one for retiring defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, Tigers pay the price, 28-27.

OREGON at STANFORD - The Cardinal has been perhaps the surprise of the Pac-10 and currently resides in third place. Ducks are in the driver’s seat and want to stay there. Stanford takes it at home. NO-NO. Jeremiah Masoli quarterbacks Oregon to win, 38-28.

Others losers:

-Maryland to N.C. State.

-Nebraska to Oklahoma.

-Oregon State to Cal.

-Virginia to Miami.

-Purdue to Michigan.

-Arizona State to USC.

-Tulsa to Houston.

This is Norman Arey and it truly pains me to pick Duke over North Carolina

Should all U.S. politicians have to wear NASCAR suits? Not a bad idea at all

(11/5) For all you Dawg fans out there upset with Mark Richt, consider this. He’s has the best winning percentage in Georgia football history. Some say he’s too nice. "Being accused of being nice isn’t the worst thing," Richt said. See, that was nice, too.

NFL super scout Gil Brandt says that when LSU plays Alabama this weekend, there will be 25 future pro players on the field and that doesn’t count the underclassmen who may come out early.

Now here’s an idea I like. Former wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura says he’d like to see all politicians start wearing suits like the NASCAR drivers wear He says if you look at the driver’s suit, you can tell who sponsors them. That way, he says, we’d know who owns the politicians.

How crazy are things in sports? Tennessee is ranked only No. 9 in the first pre-season college women’s basketball poll.

Holy Mackerel! Le Moyne College, a Division II Catholic School in New York, beat highly regarded Syracuse 82-79 in an exhibition men’s basketball game Wednesday.

And here’s another upset, of sorts, and the college basketball season doesn’t start until next week. California was picked by the media to win the Pac-10 - the first time in 10 years that either UCLA or Arizona wasn’t accorded the honor.

According to the Los Angeles Times, UCLA and Duke were tied with the most players on NBA rosters when this season tipped-off with 14 while North Carolina and Connecticut had 13 each.

Good for the Detroit Lion players. When former Georgia quarterback and No. 1 Lion draft pick Matt Stafford was booed after the Lions dropped a game to the Rams last weekend, his teammates took offense. "They want to run him out of town already?" asked center Dominic Raiola. "They’re not going to do it to this guy. I’ll be right there beside him."

Interesting debate about Oregon and Boise State in the BCS rankings. Boise, at 8-0, is the lowest ranked unbeaten team. Oregon, at 7-1, is the highest-ranked one-loss team. The Broncos beat the Beavers in a head-to-head match to kickoff the season. But if it comes down to choosing between the two, you know that Oregon would win out. ‘Tain’t fair.

And finally, can you remember a season when the least Georgia Tech would be happy with was a BCS invitation and a berth in the Orange Bowl?

This is Norman Arey and I’ll be glad to wear a NASCAR suit.

Why would playing another quarterback be seen as throwing in the towel for Bulldogs?

(11/4) The AP Pre-season All-America first team was announced this week. The first team consisted of Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins of Kansas, Patrick Patterson of Kentucky and Duke’s Kyle Singler.

And speaking of college basketball, the talent is evidently pretty well spread around in the SEC. The coaches pre-season team had 27 players receive votes for the first two teams. The unanimous picks were Kentucky’s Patterson, Devan Downey of South Carolina, LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell, Tyler Smith of Tennessee, Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State and Terrico White of Ole Miss.

North Carolina will start a freshman this basketball season. John Henson, a 6-foot-10 player will start at small forward, a walking-talking mismatch for most teams the Tar Heels will face.

No surprise that Georgia coach Mark Richt has chosen to stay with Joe Cox at quarterback... It’s no surprise because Richt’s stubbornness and loyalty is a fault rather than a virtue. Look at it this way: The Bulldogs’ best possible finish is 8-4 and that gets you a third-tier bowl. So go with super recruit quarterback Aaron Murray for the next four and possibly five games and Voila!, you’re ready for next season. Richt refuses because he doesn’t want to throw in the towel on this season, but why would playing Murray be throwing in the towel?

Have I entered a time warp? The University of Mississippi chancellor has asked that Ole Miss fans to discontinue chanting "The South Will Rise Again" following their fight song or the song will be dropped. Didn’t we go through this before, like in the 1970s?

I guess there are two ways you can look at the suddenly vulnerable 4-3 Atlanta Falcons. One is that the club may keep its streak intact of never having had back-to-back winning seasons. The other is that the worst part of their schedule is over and away losses to New England, Dallas and New Orleans ain’t the end of the world and they’ll rally to finish strong and make the playoffs

I had to laugh at an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution outlining how Georgia Tech could, indeed, play for the mythical national championship. There are at least nine things that would have to happen and eight of them are out of the Yellow Jackets’ control. Other than that, they’re in.

This is Norman Arey and I might be ‘commentaryist’ of the year if only a few things fall my way.

Check out this week's SEC slate; a real quarterback controversy in Athens

(11/3) Six of the eight SEC games scheduled this week are absolute abominations: How does this sound? Tennessee Tech at Georgia; Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky; Furman at Auburn; Northern Arizona at Ole Miss; Memphis at Tennessee; and Vandy at Florida. They ought to be ashamed.

Where Are They Now? Joey Harrington, who spent some pleasant time with the Atlanta Falcons, is living in Portland and doing radio games for Fox Sports of both the college and NFL variety.

A bad day in the state of Michigan as all five Division I-A programs in the state lost over the weekend. . . It’s worth a note to realize that Georgia Tech has averaged scoring 42 points per game over their last five. . . Anybody but me appreciate the irony that Florida State has finally found its quarterback? The Seminoles have been looking for a leader since the days of Chris Weinke and Charlie Ward. Now that their program is in the dumper, it’s sad that they’ve got the quarterback and not much to go with him.

I would imagine we’re going to be reading a lot of quarterback controversy stories coming out of Athens. Should Georgia start red shirt quarterback Logan Gray or red shirt freshman Aaron Murray in place of Joe Cox? It might make sense to give one some experience with an eye on next year. I say remove the red shirt from the super recruit Murray and get him ready for 2010. What better game to do it than against Tennessee Tech?

For what it’s worth, Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts and now a TV commentator, says he’d draft Florida quarterback Tim Tebow ahead of Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Jake Locker, and Jimmy Clausen. His reasoning is that Tebow is a winner and would be a franchise quarterback.

ESPN says Georgia Tech isn’t the best one-loss team out there - they give that honor to Oregon. The Ducks have a better defense than the Yellow Jackets and it’s hard to argue with that. LSU is also mentioned in the group of one-loss teams, but behind the other two.

And finally, do you realize that if the bowl season started today, Florida would play Texas for the mythical national title while Iowa and Oregon would meet in the Rose Bowl, Georgia Tech might get a chance at Cincinnati in the Orange, Alabama would entertain Penn State in the Sugar and Notre Dame would meet Boise State/TCU in the Fiesta? Notre Dame? You say, "They’re not even ranked in the Top 20." Hey, they’re Notre Dame. Of course, all of this is just a guess.

This is Norman Arey and I wouldn’t pick Notre Dame to go to Shreveport.

All in all, an ugly weekend in college football, at least as far as uniforms are concerned

(11/2) The hardest game for me to watch was Tennessee’s victory over South Carolina. Not particularly because the Vols won but because those black jerseys were the ugliest jerseys in America. I know it was to honor Halloween, and they were successful in scaring anyone who watched. But you have to admit that UT’s Lane Kiffin manages to keep things interesting.

Quote of the weekend: Florida defensive end Jermaine Cunningham on Georgia’s black helmets and black pants: "Those uniforms did look sweet. Wait, they had black helmets? I didn’t even notice that. They put their pants on the same way we do. At some point, it’s just about playing football."

Can’t anyone play defense anymore? Georgia Tech scored 56 against Vandy, Florida scored 41 on Georgia, Texas ran up 41 on Oklahoma State, Oregon put up 47 against Southern Cal, Auburn hung 33 on Ole Miss, Boise State had 45, Iowa 42, TCU 41, Houston 50. Well, you get the point.

I have to admit that the guy in college football whom I admire most right now is Greg Paulus. After being the floor leader for Duke’s basketball team for most of four years, he’s now the starting quarterback on the Syracuse football team. It’s not a very good team but he’s not a bad quarterback.

You might want to sit down for this but Temple is bowl eligible and Duke won its third straight game and is on top of its division in the ACC.

Houston quarterback Case Keenum gets the game ball for the weekend. The signal-caller hit on 44 of 54 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns. Another case of great defense by Southern Miss.

The most discouraging game I saw was Wake Forest’s 28-27 loss to Miami. The Deacons led in first downs, 33-19, in rushing yardage 147-26, in passing yardage 408- 330 and time of possession 39 minutes to 21. That just shows what three turnovers can do to a team.

This is Norman Arey and I didn’t much like Georgia’s black helmets.