colleg football today

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Offering a special salute to BCS outsiders

Updated 11/27/2006 2:09 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this  

We declare this section a BCS-free zone. No Ohio State, no USC, no Florida. Here's to others who have reasons to cherish this college football season.

• Rice's last postseason game was the Bluebonnet Bowl, which doesn't even exist anymore. That was 1961. But the Owls are going bowling, a year after finishing 1-10, turning an 0-4 start into a 7-5 finish by winning six in a row, five of them by a combined 15 points. It is their longest victory streak since 1949.

They have a receiver, Jarett Dillard, who has caught a touchdown pass in 14 straight games, the second longest streak in NCAA history. They have a player named Joel Armstrong who pulled off the unusual double this season  starting at quarterback and blocking a punt. They traveled 11,000 miles, from UCLA to Army, and they played only four games in their home stadium.

"I like coming to places and turning them around because it's written on people's foreheads what's wrong," first-year coach Todd Graham said. "And the No. 1 thing I found was low expectations and a hopeless feeling."

• The Virginia Tech defense threw four shutouts, and gave up just 29 points its last six games.

• LSU had to play at Auburn (No. 3 when they met), Florida (No. 5), Tennessee (No. 8) and Arkansas (No. 5), and still went 10-2.

• The Cinderella Heisman campaign of Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe sank faster than the Bismarck when he gained only 190 yards in four games at midseason. But he still finished with 1,900 yards rushing, 279 ahead of the guy in second.

• Ryne Robinson's 91 catches led the nation, but didn't spare Miami (Ohio) a star-crossed year. The school not only went 2-10 but lost former coaches Bo Schembechler and Randy Walker to heart attacks.

• Daniel Sepulveda had not punted since junior high school when Baylor's coaches asked him to give it a try as a freshman. He finished his senior year with the nation's longest average at 46.48, with 94 career punts of more than 50 yards.

• BYU's golden era of 1974-2001 included 20 conference titles and no losing seasons in 28 years. Then the Cougars vanished not long after LaVell Edwards' retirement party, going 21-25. They're back with a 10-2 record.

• Western Michigan's Ameer Ismail is no household name. But he had 17 quarterback sacks. No one else in the country had 13.

Issue of the week

Consider recent Notre Dame's fate against quick opponents: a 34-20 loss to Ohio State, 47-21 to Michigan, 44-24 to USC. Spot a trend here?

Charlie Weis' restoration of the Irish to national prominence still is in need of a defense that can slow down the big boys. USC has scored at least 34 points five straight times against Notre Dame  something the Trojans had done only six times in their previous 73 meetings. And there is legitimate question as to whether the Irish truly deserve a BCS bowl.

Quotebook

"Here's our style. You've got Tennessee. You've got Kentucky. You've got Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn, and then Tallahassee (Florida State). So much for style. You want to put that one against anybody in the country, let's go ahead and go. Style points, if that's what's making decision, I'm going to stand by my comment from a week ago. Implode it. It's over."  Florida coach Urban Meyer's soliloquy on the BCS system.

"It has been a playoff run for us. That is just how we think and prepare."  USC coach Pete Carroll. Since losing to Oregon State, the Trojans have outscored four opponents 144-43.

"Here, they didn't use a rope."  Florida State's Bobby Bowden, comparing fan unrest over the Seminoles' 6-6 season with 1974, when he went 4-7 at West Virginia and was hung in effigy.

"If this is the end for me, then it's a great way to go out."  Embattled Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter after beating Arizona. The last coach to take the Sun Devils to three straight bowl games, John Cooper, was rewarded with a job at Ohio State. Koetter, 40-33 in six seasons, was fired Sunday night.

Statistic of the week

The four smallest schools in undergraduate enrollment in Division I-A are Tulsa (2,795), Rice (3,112), Wake Forest (4,263) and Navy (4,422). All are bowl eligible this season.

Thumbs of the week

• Up to Army vs. Navy. Not one of their meetings should go by  not one  that we do not stop the BCSing long enough to remember how much these guys sacrifice.

• Up to Wake Forest. The first ACC team in history to go 6-0 on the road. Now the Demon Deacons chase their first league title since 1970. Who'd have thought it would ever come to this?

• Up to Boise State. In the BCS door at last, but nobody will have more to prove in their bowl game than the Broncos. Last main stage opportunity, in 2005: Georgia 48, Boise State 13.

• Down to West Virginia. With BCS hopes on the line, the fearsome four legs of Steve Slaton and Pat White combine for 60 yards, a week after they rushed for 435. Or maybe this should be thumbs up for South Florida.

• Down to Duke. Forty-four points most Blue Devils had scored in a game in seven years. Too bad they gave up 45 to North Carolina to finish 0-12. When's the next basketball game?

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Southern Cal takes big step toward title game

Updated 11/27/2006 1:29 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Subscribe to stories like this  

By Jack Carey, USA TODAY

Southern California's chances of reaching college football's BCS national title game looked bleak a month ago when the Trojans were upset by Oregon State. But with one weekend left in the regular season, USC now seems perfectly positioned.

The Trojans passed Michigan to move into second in this week's Bowl Championship Series standings after Saturday's 44-24 victory against Notre Dame. A win this Saturday against UCLA probably will put the Trojans (10-1) in the BCS title game for the third consecutive year. They would play No. 1 Ohio State (12-0) in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8.

FULL STANDINGS: Bowl Championship Series

The Trojans got a jump in the BCS' computer ratings by beating the Fighting Irish. Southern California is second in the computer element this week after Michigan was second and USC third a week ago. The Trojans also gained points on Michigan in the USA TODAY Coaches' Poll and the Harris Interactive rankings. Michigan ended its season Nov. 18 by losing to Ohio State.

USC coach Pete Carroll said before the Notre Dame game that if the Trojans won out, "I think it's pretty hard to keep us out of (the title game) because of the strength of schedule that we've had to play."

USC, which has already won the Pacific-10 title, had non-league games against Arkansas, which is ninth in the BCS, and 20th-rated Nebraska, in addition to Notre Dame, which is now 10th.

Florida, fourth in the BCS, will hope for a USC loss this week while trying to impress the voters and computers in its Southeastern Conference title game against Arkansas.

Boise State (12-0) moved to No. 8 in the BCS, virtually ensuring a spot in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl vs. the Big 12 winner.

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 CAST YOUR VOTE

Each week during the season, readers can select their pick for USA TODAY's Player of the Week. Choices will be made available on Sunday night. The fan vote, open through noon ET on Tuesday, will comprise one-third of the award with one vote each also going to college football editor Erick Smith and Gannett columnist Mike Lopresti. USA TODAY will name its winner Tuesday.

THIS WEEK'S NOMINEES

Dwayne Jarrett USC's receiving phenom caught seven balls for 132 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans' 44-24 victory over Notre Dame.

Ian Johnson Boise State's workhorse running back tore up Nevada for 147 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 38-7 win and a spot in a BCS bowl.

Brian Brohm Louisville's quarterback finished 21-for-29 for 337 yards and four touchdowns as the Cardinals doubled up Pittsburgh 48-24.

Chase Daniel Missouri's passer threw for a career-high 356 yards and four scores, including the school's longest pass play since 1989 for 74 yards, in the Tigers' 42-17 win over Kansas.

Ben Moffitt The South Florida linebacker recorded seven tackles and recovered a Steve Slaton fumble in the end zone for a touchback to help the Bulls upset West Virginia 24-19.

FIVE WHO MISSED THE CUT

John David Booty USC's quarterback went 17-for-28 for 265 yards, three passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and two interceptions in the win over Notre Dame.

Jarrett Dillard The Rice wideout caught six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns to help the Owls clinch their first bowl appearance in 45 years with a 31-27 win over SMU.

Brady Quinn Notre Dame's quarterback finished 22-for-45 for 274 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to USC.

John Beck BYU's quarterback threw his fourth touchdown of the game with no time remaining to lift the Cougars past Utah 33-31. Beck finished with 28-for-43 for 375 yards.

Danny Woodhead Chadron State's running back ran for 252 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-17 victory over West Texas A&M in an NCAA D-II playoff match. Woodhead became the all-division single season rushing leader with 2,740 yards.

[Triple B]

Ben Moffitt The South Florida linebacker recorded seven tackles and recovered a Steve Slaton fumble in the end zone for a touchback to help the Bulls upset West Virginia 24-19.

Would have figured Selvie or Robinson in there ahead of Ben ....... and it's curious that they called that a touchback when it wasn't.