Big East Update

The announcement that TCU will join the Big East conference for all sports is the big news of the day for the beleaguered conference. With four-loss Connecticut one win from a BCS spot, the rest of the country would prefer that the Horned Frogs join the Big East immediately. But the future, if not the present, is not so bleak for the continuously disrespected group.
For one thing, the improvement this year of Louisville and Syracuse made the conference more competitive from top to bottom. Of course, that is bad for the overall impression of the group as the conference lacks a couple of pushovers to help pad the record of the top boys. But for the conference's future, the return of Syracuse and Louisville to the living will be a boon to a conference needing publicity. The Cardinals, and Cincinnati, need to earn the Big East respect in the Midwest while establishing a football rivalry on par with the one they have in basketball, and Syracuse needs to be good to garner media attention for the conference as a whole in New York City, which feeds the huge number of Orange fans living in the metropolitan area information when the team is good. West Virginia, which is ranked and still alive for the BCS berth, and Pittsburgh are close to be ready for higher rankings but may need coaching changes to achieve that level of success. South Florida (which added the Miami pelt to the one they earned over FSU last year), Rutgers and UConn just have to continue doing what they are doing.
The conference is not as bad off as people think. We will find out in two years when TCU begins play. If they struggle they could prove that the level of play was good. But of they succeed the conference can enjoy a program worthy of the BCS title game. It is a win-win for all.

Book Review

The Gipper

by Jack Cavanaugh

Skyhorse Publishing

Fall 2010

Quick now, what does the name Stan Keck mean to you? Ralph Scott? Tom Woods? Iolas Huffman, Herb Stein, Don Lourie? The wonderfully named Gaylord Stinchcomb? Charles Way? These gentleman were consensus football All Americans in 1920 and the last two were good enough halfbacks to bump a third star player to the fullback spot for the All American team despite his never playing that position. That player was George Gipp of Notre Dame and to say he outshone his teammates on this squad or his own undefeated Notre Dame team is an understatement.

But why do we know the name George Gipp but not Don Lourie, who quarterbacked Princeton to a 6-0-1 record before becoming a success businessman (president of Quaker Oats) and public servant (Under Secretary of State for Administration under Eisenhower, himself a near contemporary from the collegiate gridiron)? As Jack Cavanaugh makes clear in his insightful biography, Gipp became one of the most famous athletes in 20 century sports for a perfect storm of factors that swirled together over the decades to produce an almost mythical embodiment of the ultimate athlete.

But as Cavanaugh makes clear, Gipp was an all-too-real person. Filling out some of the humanity behind the myth, Cavanaugh makes clear that Gipp had his share of foibles but then, as now, the celebrity status he enjoyed first locally and then nationwide helped swipe a lot of the negative away. Draft dodger? Gipp somehow was given a military salute at his funeral. Indifferent student who rarely attended classes? Gipp was commended for his studies at his funeral. Of course the true irony was that a pool hustling, class avoiding jock was a key figure in bringing national glory to Notre Dame, a school that truly represents the values of Catholic higher education.

But as Cavanaugh points out there really was not anything anyone could do to stop Gipp's development as a football player nor his local celebrity. He was an immensely gifted athlete who proved himself to be a team player. Sure he was coached by the great Knute Rockne, becoming his first star player. But Rock really just had to point Gipp toward the playing field. That is no knock on "Rock" as some players are just that good and he was smart enough to get out of his star back's way. Plus the great coaches need to coach up the lesser talents to help their stars succeed. The role Rockne played in giving Gipp legendary status came later. And Rockne did help establish Notre Dame as the type of football power that could produce a star like Gipp with his pass catching skills while a player for Notre Dame, specifically in the upset of Army in 1913 that elevated a solid but little known nationally program from Indiana into a team to be reckoned with on the national stage. Then Rockne the head coach built the Irish--or Westerners or Hibernians or one of a few nicknames that were thrust on the team then--into a national power.

So Gipp had the skills, Rockne the genius and the two together the results to elevate a regional power into a national power. Another factor in the elevation of Gipp into a legendary figure was the year, 1920, that he became consensus All American. The nation was emerging from a horrific war and was looking to relax and have some fun. The Gipp who could stay up late playing cards and shooting pool and then dominate games ten hours later was just the kind of guy we were looking to emulate. He was handsome, intelligent, charming and possessed a confidence that proved irresistible. The possibilities were endless for Gipp, as the country.

Which, of course, made his death--just a couple of weeks after his final playing appearance against Indiana--all the more tragic. Gipp died from a severe, unchecked-until-it-was-too-late case of strep throat in the era before antibiotics. That he went from starring on the field that fall to dying before the year ended was stunning to the public, even one grown used to death after the war and recent flu epidemic. Gipp had transformed from star athlete to tragic hero.

The Gipp story through the end of his life explains why he became a national figure. But despite his good looks, immense athletic talent (baseball was probably his best sport and he would have pursued major league baseball opportunities in the spring of 1921) and then tragic death, George Gipp probably would not have remained a household name today, 90 years since his death, without other factors. For one thing, Notre Dame had to remain a national power. Thanks to Rockne's successful coaching the small college from Indiana did remain a great team through his coaching run and then stuck with the demands of the sport, even through some difficult times. The Notre Dame football story, with Gipp as one of the key figures, gets repeated like no other program's. The Irish past, thanks to a host of top writers who helped promote the team, became the college football history for a huge segment of the nation. And so millions more people have heard of Gipp, Rockne and the Four Horsemen but could not place end Brick Muller, who led Cal to the 1920 national championship. And a key element of that history is a speech, pep talk if you will, that Rockne gave to his team nearly eight years after Gipp died. The "win one for the Gipper" speech and subsequent upset over Army in 1928 not only did wonders for the status of Rockne, but reinforced Gipp as a mystical figure to be called upon when times were difficult. As much as this is a biography of Gipp the man, and Cavanaugh has plenty of stories about his home life in Laurium, Michigan and his days as a pool hustler in South Bend plus a bit of a doomed love life for our hero, this book is also a telling of how Gipp's story became larger than his own life. And that speech is a crucial element of Gipp the legend.

But of course there was one more card to be played. Ronald Reagan had to beat out a host of promising young actors to play Gipp in the movie Knute Rockne All American, a movie that stamped Gipp as a doomed hero for a new generation, and then had to eventually become president of the United States, where he continued to use the "win one for the Gipper" line he said in the film 40 years earlier.

And so the real Gipper (rarely, if ever, called that when alive) lives on. He has joined the pantheon of greats of American sport. Not bad for a 25-year-old with a skill at toting the leather. And this book, despite some repetitions, gives justice to that celebrated hero. Being able to use old interviews he conducted years ago, when former teammates and friends of Gipp still lived, Cavanaugh gives us a glimpse into not only Gipp's life but the power of fame. It is well worth reading for anyone interested in not only the history of college football but the role of celebrity in American life.

View From Bennett Avenue

Overall I believe the games played at Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium were successful, although Northwestern and Army may beg to differ. The only obvious complication was the end zone near the ivy at Wrigley, although the game played in the Bronx in November at night could easily have been a lot colder and more miserable for those in attendance. Unfortunately neither game proved to be competitive, which was really a shame for the battle of Illinois as that game is always under the radar even if the teams are decent. It will never be mistaken for Ohio State versus Michigan, or even Wisconsin versus Minnesota, but the instate rivalry should become a better one. And after witnessing the incredible lack of interest in the Army-Notre Dame rivalry from the mid 1970s until recent times, it was good to see that some of that excitement was back. It will never be 1946 again (and didn't Lujack look great yesterday? And yes I am gushing), but at least people should care about a slice of college football history.

And so these games are good for the sport. I don't know if we will see Wrigley again thanks to the end zone problem (how did the Bears once play there?), but Yankee Stadium will remain a venue and others will follow suit.

Picks

Ahhh. I am running out of time to give you my picks.
So here goes (please excuse the brevity):
Wisconsin -4.5 against Michigan
Oklahoma State -24 vs KU
Iowa +3 against OSU
Northwestern +8 against Illinois
Cal +7 vs Stanford
BYU -30 against NM
Arkansas -3 vs Miss State
Tennessee -9 vs Vandy
Rutgers +13.5 at Cincy
SD State +3 against Utah
My best bets are Wisconsin, Okie State, Cal, BYU, Tenn and RU
Enjoy the slate

Remember When

It was only a few short years ago that the Big East was riding high, having rebounded nicely from the departures of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to still produce quality football and elite teams. In 2006, in fact, Big East members West Virginia and Louisville were ranked no. 3 and no. 5 nationwide respectively in early November thanks to being both 7-0 as the season wound down. The two programs were matched up on a Thursday night on November 2nd and both teams sparkled under the lights--at least when they were on. Here is the recap, as found in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

LOUISVILLE 44 West Virginia 34: Big East battle of unbeatens was O parade as both Ds were nearly invisible. West Virginia (7-1) won hollow triumph: 540y to 468y in O stat battle. Leading 16-14 at H but frustrated in its inability to cash TDs instead of K Art Carmody's 3 FGs, Louisville (8-0) seemed to come alive at same moment half of lights went out in Papa John Stadium. After exchange of TOs in semi-darkness of early 3rd Q, West Virginia started series at its 13YL, and on 1st play, star RB Steve Slaton (18/156y, TD) lost FUM. Cardinals LB Malik Jackson scooped it up for TD RET and 23-14 lead. Slaton went to sideline with limp left arm, and Mountaineers soon were forced to punt from own 6YL. Short punt was returned by streaking Cards WR Trent Guy for 40y TD. QB Pat White (13-20/222y and 23/145y, 4 TDs rushing) marshaled WVU for gutsy 92y TD march, mostly using his own runs, to 30-21 deficit. On 1st snap of 4th Q, however, Louisville QB Brian Brohm (19-26/354y, TD) tossed TD fade pass to 6'6 WR Mario Urrutia (6/113y). Slaton was back for WVU's next series that resulted in White's power-run TD that resembled 1950s Single Wing play. Cards quickly negated that score with another one of their own. It came on 5y run by big frosh RB Anthony Allen (12/47y, 2 TDs) and provided 44-27 lead with 10:19 left.

With victory Louisville moved up to no. 3 in BCS ranking. But there was yet another undefeated Big East team lurking, Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights bounced the Cardinals from the top ten with a 28-25 win one week later. But Rutgers would lose twice more before season ended and Louisville ended up the Big East champion with 6-1 mark. They went on to beat fellow upstart Wake Forest in Orange Bowl to close out glorious season with final 12-1 record.

Big East Update

I find it funny that the Big East bashing that annually occurs this time of the year is no different than any other year. Of course, this year the conference has not impressed while in the past it was not nearly as bad as national pundits and fans would lead you to believe. Yet the silly bashing done in the past has not worsened, proving that the bashing was done without any pretense to fact or an actual viewing of Big East game. They disliked the Big East whether the conference was good or bad.

Either way, the very competitive league does have to crown a champion and that program will secure a BCS spot. Pittsburgh is currently the leader at 3-1, but the Panthers have to play two of their remaining three games on the road against South Florida tomorrow and Cincinnati in December. Pitt is 1-3 on the road this year. With their one remaining home game being rival West Virginia, the Panthers are not even close to wrapping up the league title.

Syracuse is currently in second place in the conference at 4-2, which is stunning. The revival of the Orange program under head coach Doug Marrone is crucial to the conference as they have a legitimate presence in New York City--thanks to a strong alumni group there--and have the tradition needed to attract national interest. They only have one remaining game in conference, tomorrow night's clash with UConn in the Carrier Dome, and need to win it and then get some help. For one thing they need Pitt to lose twice as the Panthers have already beaten Syracuse or a three-way tie that could eliminate head-to-head as a factor. Either way they need to win and while they are at it beat former conference rival Boston College next week. The conference needs as many wins against members of other BCS conferences as possible. Win both and then the bowl game and Syracuse will have won ten games. Unbelievable. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

Of the remaining contenders, South Florida, at 3-2 in the conference, is the most intriguing as they are not only on a three-game win streak but play their remaining two Big East games at home against Pitt and Connecticut. They also have a crucial non-conference game remaining at Miami on November 27. The always talented Mountaineers of West Virginia cannot be counted out, sitting at 2-2, although they have road games against improved Louisville and Pitt next up on their schedule. After beating West Virginia and Pitt in back-to-back weeks, UConn cannot be completely dismissed either. They are a long shot however due to the fact that they still have to play both Syracuse and South Florida on the road. In four road games this season the Huskies are 0-4 and have been outscored by a combined 113-50.

The remaining schools are all hoping to become bowl eligible. Everyone has something to play for and there should be some compelling action--not that anyone outside the conference will tune in.

Cam Newton-Again

The stakes are certainly high regarding the eligibility of Cam Newton. Auburn is undefeated and would not be undefeated without Newton. They still have to play Alabama in the Iron Bowl, South Carolina in a rematch for the SEC title and X in a bowl game, possibly the BCS championship game. Newton is also a favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
The NCAA is supposedly putting this issue on the front burner. But based on what we have seen in the past, it will be hard to expect any resolution to this controversy before the Alabama game. And, let's be clear, if the NCAA had punished Southern Cal in a more timely fashion for the benefits received by Reggie Bush, it is very possible that the Newtons would not have tried to sell Cam's services (if in fact they did) nor would Auburn or its boosters paid cash for a player (if in fact they did).
Remember if the Newtons did try to sell Cam to Mississippi State, he can be ruled ineligible for Auburn even if they did not pay him. And, of course, if there is proof that Auburn has paid the guy then this whole season goes up in smoke. And if e was paid then the NCAA must act swiftly to punish the Tigers. Severely.

MAC Love

While the MAC has yet to recover the glory days from recent memory when star players and up-and-coming coaches dominated the action, the product on the field is still compelling. Tonight is a big match-up between Ohio and Temple, who are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the East at 5-1 with surprise team of the conference--Miami of Ohio. Temple has the toughest road to hoe in that they host Ohio tonight and then play at Miami next Tuesday. Still they know that if they win out they are in, to probably face Northern Illinois in the title game as NIU has a 1.5 game lead over Toledo with two to play out West. That game would allow the Owls to avenge their only MAC conference loss this season as the Huskies scored the final 21 points of the game to beat Temple 31-17 back in October.

Thanks to a rout of Miami on October 23, Ohio also can claim the MAC East crown by winning out. The final game for the Bobcats is Thanksgiving Friday at Kent State, who is 3-2 at home on the season (only 4-6 overall). The Golden Flashes have outgained Ohio in each of the past three seasons, although only winning once, last year, in that span.

Miami needs some help while taking care of lowly Akron this weekend. The easiest situation for them is to have Temple win tonight and then beat the Owls next week. Either way the turnaround for Miami this season under coach Mike Hayward has been impressive after the Redhawks went 1-11 last year.

Meanwhile NIU just keeps humming along behind a rush attack that is tenth in the nation with a 261y average, leading the way for an offense that has produced at least 28 points in all six of their MAC wins. Senior running back Chad Spann has rushed for 1,070y and 15 TDs, while QB Chandler Harnish (pictured) has thrown for more than 1,600y and rushed for an additional 700y. Coach Jerry Kill may be the next MAC coaching star, although of course that will mean his moving on to the Big 10.

Service Academy Glory

Do you remember the heat Notre Dame took a few years ago because they had all three service academies, Air Force, Army and Navy, on its schedule? Would any BCS power line up today for something similar? No. 1 ranked Oregon, who scheduled Tennessee but also Portland State and New Mexico? Auburn, who did play Clemson out-of-conference, but also Arkansas State, Louisiana Monroe and Chattanooga?

No way. As Ohio State, who edged Navy last year, and Oklahoma, who struggled with Air Force this year, learned, there is no benefit to playing these teams and much too much to lose. What the powers do get is the ability to teach their five and four star recruits some humility after film sessions that show them struggling with the likes of QB Ricky Dobbs of Navy (listed in Phil Steele's preseason guide as the 142nd QB of his high school class) or QB Trent Steelman of Army (no. 245 in his class) or QB Tim Jefferson of Air Force (no. 390 in his class! And that is just at QB.) The service academies are back and looking forward to bowl season.

How did it get this way? Well for one thing serving your country in the military is not looked down upon anymore as it was, in some parts of the country, back during Vietnam when the academies started to slip athletically. Second, there is a lot more support monetarily as no one looked at woeful records by programs representing our military as a positive example of our fighting spirit. Thirdly, coaching has saved the day as Air Force coach Troy Calhoun learned under Fisher DeBerry in the late 1980s and both Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and Army coach Rich Ellerson fell from the Paul Johnson tree of coaching. And the fourth, and main, reason for the success of these teams is the option attack that they use which is difficult to execute--but a bit easier for students used to the regimen of their daily lives--and difficult to defend. All three academies now run some form of wishbone or option attack and dare defenses to stop them. A huge advantage is that no BCS team is going to spend enough time preparing for them at risk of losing to a bigger named opponent the following week who throws the ball all over the field. Oklahoma defenders were recruited to stop Colt McCoy and Garrett Gilbert of Texas, Taylor Potts of Texas Tech and Zac Robinson and Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State, not Tim Jefferson of Air Force. I am sure many of his teammates agreed with Sooners LB Travis Lewis when he said this of trying to cope with the Falcon attack that had just scorched OU for 458y: "I never want to see this kid of offense again."

And you know what? They probably won't. Until more teams go back to running some form of option, the bigger teams will shy away from scheduling the academies. What was once considered an easy win is a lock no more. But, of course, there will always be bowl games where despite having multiple weeks to prepare, Missouri and Houston were routed by Navy and Air Force last year. Good luck to those teams chosen to face the three academies this postseason.

What We Learned Saturday

I am unsure if anyone had great expectations for yesterday's college football "card" (and, no, I did not watch the fight last night)? Absent the huge match-ups of top ten teams we had grown accustomed to, the day would need competitive performances from some teams below the radar for us, as fans, to have a fun time. And that is exactly what happened.

Northwestern got the ball rolling with a stirring comeback of all things--the Cats have lost twice this year in big games thanks to allowing rallies--to nip Iowa at the wire and eliminate the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten race. That QB Dan Persa was lost for the season on the play just added to the drama. Fortunately this game was exciting as Wisconsin was clubbing seal cubs on another ESPN outlet at the same time.

But then in a span of a few moments in the afternoon, Ohio State, Auburn and TCU were all losing by a couple of scores. They did all rally to win, and at night both Oregon and Stanford won closer games than expected, but the excitement--from noon until late at night--stayed with anyone fortunate enough to have tuned in. All five of the underdog teams in question, Penn State, Georgia, San Diego State, Cal, and Arizona State respectively, played with heart and all put a scare into teams still clinging to BCS title game aspirations. But then plenty of other teams without hopes of reaching the BCS title game played with spirit too, like South Carolina who whacked Florida to earn the SEC East crown or Virginia Tech, who looks determined to win another ACC crown. Or how about North Carolina State, Maryland and, yes, Syracuse, who all won their seventh game of the year.

Days like yesterday are proof that the college football game is not broken.

Paul's Picks

I had a brilliant performance two weeks ago to pull my season record to 22-23 and then had another brilliant week seven days ago only to have computer problems and not get the picks in on time. So here goes for this week:
Iowa (-10) at NORTHWESTERN:
Some programs just have the number of another. And no I am not speaking of dominance by a power over an also-ran but when a middling-to-good program consistently tops one considered better than them. Take the Wildcats, who have upset Iowa in four of the past five years. They have a very good team and must have learned from their late meltdowns against Michigan State and Penn State. The Hawkeyes are good but not 10 points on the road good. Pick: Northwestern +10
Kansas State at MISSOURI (-13)
Although Missouri has won four straight in the series the games have been closer than the score would indicate. KSU can run on anyone and veteran coach Bill Snyder did not let them bask in the sun this week after their big performance against Texas. Pick: KSU +13
Utah (-6) at NOTRE DAME
This is an odd spread, based solely on the hangover effect after Utah got whacked last week against TCU. But that would have been a factor if they lost close. By getting routed, the Utes need to show a national television audience that they are one of the better teams in the country. Last year they followed all three of their losses with impressive wins. Notre Dame meanwhile is struggling to keep healthy bodies on the field. Pick: Utah -6
Stanford (-6) at ARIZONA STATE
While this has the makings of a trap game, coming in between Stanford's huge win over Arizona last week and their rivalry game against Cal next week, coach Jim Harbaugh has these guys playing such hard-nosed football that it is not a worry. Last year the game in between their upset of Oregon and Cal was the USC game and all The Cardinal did was whack the Trojans 55-21. They are getting no mention nationally despite an excellent year and will take out their frustrations on the game Sun Devils.
Tulsa at HOUSTON (over/under 76)
Last year these teams combined for 91 points; in 2008 it was an even 100. Pick: Over 76

Remember When

With all of the craziness swirling around the Auburn football program, Remember When will look back on the 1957 national champion Tigers, who went undefeated en route to claiming the national title despite being on probation for...you guessed it, buying players. Now the money being claimed today, and actually no one has yet to say that Auburn bought Newton but that people representing him solicited money from Mississippi State, is a lot more than what Auburn was caught paying back in the day but the money earned today from the sport is a lot larger too. There is a lot riding on the play of these kids and a lot of pressure for programs to succeed. As we wait for more information on the current situation, here is a key win by Auburn over Mississippi State from 11/9/57 as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:
AUBURN 15 Mississippi State 7 (Birmingham): Seeking its best record since going 7-3 in 1947, Mississippi State (5-2) scored 1st when it caught powerful Auburn (7-0) D napping late in 2nd Q. On 3rd-and-4, Bulldogs sub QB Tom Miller rolled left and targeted E Ned Brooks, who slipped deep and into clear at Tigers 25YL. Brooks romped uncontested for 57y on TD pass play that became only 3rd TD allowed by Auburn in season to date. Essentially, Miller's surprise pass was only gaffe all season for mighty Plainsmen D. Maroons HB Bubber Trammell had bolted for 16y gain on game's 1st scrimmage, but Mississippi State made no other first downs all 1st H other than its TD. As 2nd H opened, Auburn blazed 76y in 11 plays to FB-K Billy Atkins' 2y TD dive and tying kick. Tigers soph C-LB Jackie Burkett stormed in on Bulldogs P Bill Schoenrock, and E John Whatley followed to block punt for safety for 9-7 edge in 4th Q. Atkins added another TD after FUM REC was secured at Maroons 10YL.
Auburn was ranked no. 3 in country at time, needing upsets (Notre Dame over Texas and Rice over Texas A&M) and convincing wins over lowly Florida State and Alabama to overcome voter reluctance in becoming title winner despite probation.

Say It Ain't So, Cam

With the latest allegations thrown Cam Newton's way--that he cheated on numerous occasions at Florida--it is becoming apparent that the only way to stop Cam Newton is to derail him with off-the-field stuff. What's next? That Cam was invented by NASA? That he was 5'7, 180 until four years ago when he started taking certain "supplements"?
I do not know what is real and what is not regarding these allegations. Coach Gene Chizik's defense was pathetic. Loudly chanting that Newton is "eligible" was specious at best. Yes, we know he is eligible. Reggie Bush was eligible when we first heard allegations thrown his way.
Meanwhile Rece Davis kept wondering out loud if Newton had already wrapped up the Heisman. Ummm, he is being accused of shaking down schools while deciding where he would transfer to. Just a few months removed from Bush returning his Hesiman and voters are going to run to give the prize to a guy who has already been arrested for accepting stolen merchandise and then has been accused of soliciting money for the privilege of suiting him up? That is crazy.
What bothers me the most is that this crap can potentially overshadow a fine season.

TCU An Outsider?

The Horned Frogs are good--just in case anyone still wondered. They whipped Utah every which way, chasing the Utes from the BCS discussion while making a strong case for themselves as worthy of a title shot. Are they better than Boise State? Who knows. The two programs appear to be pretty even. Do they have a better shot than Alabama of reaching the BCS title game? They do now.
One thing I find funny is the "outsider" status of TCU, which is based solely on their current status as a member of a non-BCS conference. But the Horned Frogs are a traditional power having won national championships under coach Dutch Meyer in the 1930s and Southwest Conference championships under Abe Martin in the 1950s. The program fell on hard times and had some pretty pathetic seasons in the 1970s and '80s, but you cannot hang an outsider tag on them because they had to be rebuilt. The reality is that some teams have been considered "haves" because of the conference they play in and others "have nots" because of the conference they play in but the reality is sometimes different than the accepted truth. TCU is proud of their history and proud of their recent dominance. They recruit Texas hard and pay their coaches well. Like Boise, they play football to win games--many schools do not--and they are very successful at it. Unlike Boise, they should not be considered an outsider.

Big 12 Round-Up

Baylor beat Texas. In Austin. I just thought that I remind everyone of that occurrence, from Saturday, as the news is slow to get out these days. Baylor last beat the Longhorns in 1997 and last beat them on the road in 1991 (Ah the Southwest Conference). And yes sir, the Bears are currently in first place in the Big 12 South by a half game over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And it is November. The Bears have a fine coach in Art Briles, great quarterback in Robert Griffin, nifty running back in Jay Finley and a defense that is exceeding expectations. Griffin's return from a torn ACL has gone extremely well so far as he has already thrown for 2,592y with 20 TD passes and rushed for 410y and 7 more TDs. In a conference loaded with star players, he may be the mosy dynamic. Of course two tough games await Baylor in Oklahoma State in Stillwater and Oklahoma at home (and the Bears cannot overlook Texas A&M either), but these Bears will be bowl-bound for the first time since 1994. These are heady times in Waco.

Although Nebraska and Missouri are still tied atop the Big 12 North, the Tigers will need some help due to the Cornhuskers not only owning the head-to-head tiebreaker but possessing an easier schedule the rest of the way. Still, there is plenty of football yet to be played.