Attention Must Be Paid to Players, No Matter Their College Or Pedigree
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9BLACK E9 DAILY 11-24-06 MD SU E9 BLACK The Washington Post x S Friday, November 24, 2006 E9 CollegeGameday By Adam Kilgore THE RUNDOWN BCS ALARM WASHINGTON POST PHOTO ILLUSTRATION TODAY CLOCK Noon: No. 11 Texas vs. Texas A&M, WJLA (Channel 7), WMAR (Channel 2) 2:30: No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 9 LSU, WUSA (Channel 9), WJZ (Channel 13) 3:30: No. 23 Nebraska vs. Colorado, WJLA (Channel 7), WMAR (Channel 2) 9: Fresno State at Louisiana Tech, ESPN2 After the tryptophan wears off, try testing how much turkey your system can handle and watch a great day of games. The best is Arkansas hosting LSU, which has no SEC ramifications but could hold national championship implications. If Arkansas wins, especially if it creams the ZERO MINUTES Tigers, it hangs on to a sliver of hope of UNTIL MIDNIGHT playing Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz. If it loses, it can still beat Florida in the SEC There is only one championship game and play in a BCS more week to argue bowl, but its national before the computers title hopes will be and pollsters have the gone. LSU quarterback final say. JaMarcus Russell Five schools still and Arkansas running Shadow have a chance to join back Darren McFadden Ohio State in the are two of the SEC’s desert, although most entertaining Arkansas and Notre players. In what was a Dame look more like wildly entertaining game last year — and spoilers at this point. one that was in question for much longer The Fighting Irish will than expected — No. 11 Texas hosts be haunted by the Awards 47-21 loss to Texas A&M. Texas needs a win to clinch the Big 12 South, but the Aggies tested Michigan. The the Longhorns last season with mobile Razorbacks will be quarterback Stephen McGee (check out Attention Must Be Paid to Players, hampered by the 50-14 his old-school loose sleeves) and running loss to Southern back Joworski Lane, both of whom are No Matter Their College or Pedigree California. Regardless back. The other traditional of how each finishes, Friday-after-Thanksgiving Big 12 game is neither team likely will Colorado at No. 23 Nebraska. The he Thanksgiving leftovers are in the fridge, they’re playing college hoops in Hawaii leapfrog Michigan in Huskers have clinched the Big 12 North and rakes are ready to trade places with snow shovels. College football bowl season is the BCS ratings. and Colorado is 2-9, but hey, it’s almost here; when it expires, a remarkable season will be left behind, with signing day If the Trojans beat probably better than hanging with your and coaching searches the only things left to keep message boards buzzing. Notre Dame tomorrow in-laws. Those checking out TBut before you say goodbye to college football, say hello to what you missed. While Troy night and cross-city disappointing Fresno State’s late visit to Smith made his Heisman Trophy run, Rutgers charmed the nation and Florida State and Mi- rival UCLA next week, Louisiana Tech likely need to seek rehab ami flopped, players and coaches on fields from Air Force to Wyoming, through West Coast of- they will play in their — for something. fenses and East Coast biases, created seasons to remember — if only anyone had noticed. third consecutive BCS So now, before we sort out the latest BCS mess, here are the best of this season’s unsung, title game. Those overlooked and underrated. victories should put TOMORROW AFTERNOON USC ahead of Noon: Virginia at No. 17 Virginia Tech, WDCA (Channel Prolific Passer: John Beck, BYU Surprising Story Line: Michigan in the 20) computer rankings, Noon: South Florida at No. 7 West Virginia, ESPN2 The school that produced Steve Young, Jim The Big 12’s Fall which would be Noon: South Carolina at No. 24 Clemson, ESPN McMahon and Ty Detmer added another Maybe it’s time to give the Big Eight and enough to push the Noon: No. 4 Florida at Florida State, WJLA (Channel 7), quarterback to its lineage this season in Beck, a WMAR (Channel 2) Southwest conferences another shot. It might not Trojans ahead in the Noon: Division I-AA Playoffs, Lafayette at 6-foot-2 senior. Beck is second behind Hawaii’s have been that bad, but while the Atlantic Coast BCS ratings. If that Massachusetts, CN8 Colt Brennan in passing efficiency and has thrown Conference received much of the sky-is-falling occurs, the loudest Noon: Cincinnati at Connecticut, pay-per-view for 3,135 yards — 104 more than Brady Quinn in criticism — and for a while, rightfully so — the grumbles will be heard Noon: Kansas at Missouri, pay-per-view one fewer game. He has completed 71 percent of 12:30: Kentucky at No. 19 Tennessee, pay-per-view Big 12 endured a quietly embarrassing season. in Ann Arbor and 2:30: No. 13 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, Comcast his passes, which would break Alex Smith’s Aside from Oklahoma — which might go to a BCS Gainesville, assuming SportsNet Mountain West Conference record. Beck has led bowl despite suspending its quarterback before the Florida wins out. 3: New Mexico State at Utah State, pay-per-view the Cougars to an 8-2 record, and one of those season, losing its Heisman Trophy hopeful running If the Trojans are 3:30: No. 16 Georgia Tech at Georgia, WUSA (Channel losses came at Boston College in overtime. When it 9), WJZ (Channel 13) back halfway through the season and receiving one knocked off, the real 3:30: Grambling vs. Southern, WRC (Channel 4), WBAL happened, the game was thought to be an of the unluckiest calls of the year — it’s hard to fun begins. Even if (Channel 11) indictment of BC. It might have been a validation. find a team to feel good about. The Big 12 went Florida beats Florida 3:30: No. 8 Louisville at Pittsburgh, ESPN 3-8 against teams from the other BCS State tomorrow and One Orlando Breakout Running Back: conferences, and those three wins were at home Arkansas next week in columnist called P.J. Hill, Wisconsin against South Florida, Ole Miss and Washington, the SEC title game, it’s teams that currently are a combined 15-19. uncertain whether the Florida’s coach Playing in the same conference as Ohio State and “Urban Cryer” after Gators would jump Michigan, no team was more forgotten than 11-1 ahead of Michigan in Urban Meyer said Wisconsin, and no player represented that better Jordan Coaching Whiz: it would be a Palmer the BCS ratings. It is than Hill, who averaged 128 yards per game as a Bud Foster, Virginia Tech too close to call. travesty if Michigan redshirt freshman, two more than Michigan’s Mike played a rematch Two things remain the same If that scenario Hart. Playing in the Big Ten, a conference known as last season: Foster’s unfolds and the Gators with Ohio State. He could help facilitate for its run-stuffing defenses, Hill is the nation’s that if the Gators lose to Florida State, defense is ranked No. 1 in are excluded, expect sixth-leading rusher and helped the Badgers to the Deadly Combination: the country, and no BCS Coach Urban Meyer to which held off Western Michigan by only best regular season in school history. eight points last week. Florida likely Jordan Palmer and conference team with a head blow his top. Meyer needs not only to win, but to win big and Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP coaching vacancy has called already has said that if Defensive Monster: him for an interview. The hope USC knocks off Notre Dame later to Carson’s little brother grew up this season, and he a rematch is staged at Hokies have allowed 10.2 have a shot at the national title game. J Leman, Illinois has Higgins largely to thank. The 6-foot, the expense of a 12-1 points per game, best in the The Seminoles may be sagging, but they They should have handed him an all-America 180-pound senior leads the country with 1,230 Florida team, then country, and 231 yards per game, second to LSU get Florida at home and shouldn’t lack for plaque after his performance against Ohio State, receiving yards and is tied for third with Georgia everyone needs to put by three (the equivalent of about .01 of a yard motivation — a win could erase a lot of when he made 19 tackles and led a shocking Tech’s Calvin Johnson with 13 touchdowns on 76 together a playoff more per play). Temple inquired about Foster last the wrong that’s gone on this season in defensive performance that held the Buckeyes to catches. He has helped Palmer become the system immediately, if season, but he has yet to receive much of a feeler Tallahassee. Also at noon, catch the most 17 points, the fewest they’ve scored in any game country’s 16th-most efficient passer, ahead of not sooner. from a big-time program despite overseeing what fun-to-watch backfield in recent memory this season. But Leman wasn’t even nominated for Brian Brohm, Chad Henne and Nate Longshore. is regularly one of the country’s best units. This when Pat White, Steve Slaton and West some all-conference teams, despite making 152 season, the Hokies’ defense has allowed only 11 Three Clock Virginia host South Florida. Another tackles, second in the country behind Iowa State’s Freshman Quarterback: touchdowns and, in the past five games, has entertaining backfield, Clemson’s C.J.