Shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina in a game on April 5, 2012, against UCLA. Hoopiiaina and the Utes have six non-conference losses — which matches their total for all of last year.
File Photo Madeline Smith / The Daily Utah Chronicle

The start of the season hasn’t been as successful as Utah would have hoped.

The Utes already have six non-conference losses — which matches their total for all of last year — and has been inconsistent in both weekend tournaments.

But there is reason to be optimistic.

Utah put up a season-high 19 hits against UNLV in the Easton Desert Classic. In the previous game, the Utes only allowed Long Beach State five hits and one run — both season bests for Utah. The explanation for Sunday’s performance might come down to a meeting set up by the players to refocus and turn around the season, said head coach Amy Hogue. The momentum from those games might come into play this upcoming weekend.

Today Utah will travel to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Classic where its first opponent will be former conference foe Colorado State. On Saturday, the team will play a doubleheader against Long Island University Brooklyn and Nevada. Finally, the Utes will finish the weekend in another doubleheader versus Ohio State and Cal Poly.

Because of Utah’s inconsistency, the motto “plug into each other” was adopted for this week. Each player will write down what she needs to do and what she is going to bring to the rest of the team. The player then will give those promises to another player in order to hold each other accountable.

“We’ve shown that we’ve been inconsistent,” Hogue said. “We are going to do a better job of plugging into each other and making sure everybody understands their role and is supported in their role really well to see if we can gain some consistency this weekend.”

There haven’t been problems on the physical side, Hogue said.

“What we’ve been inconsistent in is our effort and our attitude and our support of each other,” she said. “Those are all controllable things.”

Hogue seems to be right on target. The teams Utah has lost to are far from national powerhouses — only one team Utah has lost to has a winning record. In the majority of the losses the simple answer is the Utes have not been able to produce runs early, which puts pressure on pitching and defense.

Utah will need runs -and lots of them- in order to have a successful weekend. This year’s team is built to score, and without runs, the team struggles. Utah has only one loss when the team has scored five or more runs. However, the Utes only have one win when they scored less than five runs. Shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina thinks the reason for the lack of run production comes down to a simple factor.

“I think that our biggest problem is that we are passive right now,” Hoopiiaina said. “We’ve got to be aggressive and go after strikes … If we are aggressive I think we’ll be way more successful this weekend.”

The start of the season was not what the Utes were expecting. However, Utah seems to have turned the corner and found a new passion that wasn’t there before.

“I’m excited about playing CSU and Nevada again because we’ve lost to both of the teams, and I’m looking for redemption,” Hoopiiaina said.

Somehow, after senior forward Tyler Griffey hit a buzzer-beating layup to defeat No. 1 Indiana 74-72, it happened for the Illini men’s basketball team.

Griffey, who was in the midst of an 0-for-20 slump from 3 and had become somewhat of a punch line as of late, rode atop shoulders on Thursday in Champaign.

Seniors Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson, questioned by many for their toughness, buried their faces in their jerseys to hide cheerful tears.

First-year head coach John Groce, who had become an expert on disappointing press conferences over the Illini’s recent dismal stretch, they’d lost six of their last seven games, led the crowd of overjoyed Illini fans in a huddle after they poured from the bleachers onto the court once Griffey’s layup fell through the net.

A season may have turned around in .9 seconds. Not an easy thing to do.

“We ran an out of bounds play — one of our standard ones that we’ve been running since the beginning of the year,” Griffey said. “I didn’t expect … (Cody) Zeller and (Christian) Watford both right in front of me, and I kind of went through them. They both stayed there.”

Illinois was down as much as 14 in the second half Thursday, but Groce’s team fought back with a 12-2 run to close the game, something the Illini have failed at again and again over the last month.

In the end, it was Richardson who came away with a steal with less than eight seconds remaining.

National Defensive Player of the Year candidate Victor Oladipo chased him down the court and swatted the ball out of bounds on Richardson’s layup attempt with less than a second remaining in the game. Then came the inbound. Griffey snuck behind Indiana big men Zeller and Watford, Paul found him on a pass from the baseline, and the rest is history.

But the Illini never would have been in a position to win if it wasn’t for Paul and Richardson, who accounted for 10 of the Illini’s last 12 points.

Assembly Hall realized what could be possible once Richardson hit back-to-back 3’s to draw the Illini within two with 2:04 remaining and then hitting the tying jumper with just over a minute left in regulation.

Oladipo briefly quieted the crowd with a contested layup as the clock ticked down to :50, but the Illini put the ball in the hands of Paul, who carried them through the early part of the season.

After driving the lane and nearly completing a 3-point play, Paul headed to the free-throw line and banked-in the first attempt, rocking the Hall to its core.

“Prayer,” Groce said after the game.

“It left my hand, and I was like, ‘Good Lord,” Paul said. “But it went in and I was like, ‘All right, let me calm down.’ D.J. just told me, ‘You’ve been here before.’ It got me back. If you noticed, I had a lot of fun this game.”

Paul drained the second attempt to  tie the game. The Illini’s final defensive stand ended with the ball in Richardson’s hands, flying down the court with seconds remaining.

Illinois stayed with Indiana through much of the first half until it looked like the wheels had finally fallen off against the nation’s top-ranked team. The Illini had blown strong early first-half efforts just in losses to Wisconsin and Michigan, and Thursday was no different. Indiana headed into the half with a 41-29 lead on the heels of a 22-10 run.

But this time, the Illini stayed even keel.

Despite its best efforts to prod at the lead in the early going of the second half, Illinois never drew the game closer than six until Richardson’s first 3 that started the run with 2:52 remaining in the game.

In the end, it was Illinois’ seniors – Griffey, Richardson and Paul, the faces of the class of 2009 – that gave it its third win over a top-ranked team in the program’s history.

The last time the Illini accomplished the feat was against Wake Forest on Dec. 1, 2004, and Michigan State on Jan. 11, 1979, before then.

“We were basically telling each other, ‘We’re not done yet, we’ve been through a tough stretch,’” Paul said. “The fact that we all contributed, the seniors that came in at the same time, I think it says a lot about our character.”

Paul and Griffey were both in a rut entering Thursday’s game. After much discussion among the two and Richardson about not going down with a fight, Paul texted Griffey on Wednesday with two words: “Make shots.”

Griffey arguably made the biggest shot of his life on Thursday, and now everything’s in play again. Because of those .9 seconds.

But with the prospect haul he pulled in on National Signing Day, Muschamp may not need much more than water.

Florida received 20 letters of intent on Wednesday, filling out a 27-member class ranked No. 4 nationally by Rivals. The Gators’ 2012 class ranked third, a nine-spot jump from Muschamp’s first recruiting class at UF.

But unlike the past two years, National Signing Day 2013 was mostly uneventful for Florida. Only two commits waited until Wednesday to pick UF, and the Gators have seven newcomers already enrolled.

“It’s a very committed class,” Muschamp said. “A lot of these guys were guys that have been committed to us a long time and never took other visits. There wasn’t a lot of flash in their recruiting process, and that’s the kind of guys you want.”

In addition to nabbing some of the nation’s highest-ranked prospects, Florida succeeded in addressing needs at linebacker, wide receiver and defensive tackle. The Gators signed at least three players with four-star rankings or better at each position.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone is one of two five-star prospects to sign with UF.

“Those guys want to come in and understand that there’s going to be competition at Florida,” Muschamp said. “I always tell them, ‘We’re going to promise you an opportunity. I’m not going to promise you anything past that.’”

The Gators added five wide receivers, a group headlined by four-star prospects Demarcus Robinson and Ahmad Fulwood. Florida’s top five returning wide receivers combined for 44 receptions and four touchdown catches last season.

“We’ve improved our depth, and I think we’ve improved our talent,” Muschamp said. “(There are) some guys that can come in and compete.”

One position the Gators failed to bolster was quarterback. Following Jacoby Brissett’s transfer to NC State, returning starter Jeff Driskel is the lone Florida signal-caller with game experience.

UF inked three-star quarterback Max Staver but came up short in its pursuit of three-star JUCO transfer Tanner McEvoy, who committed to Wisconsin on Monday. Junior Tyler Murphy will likely serve as UF’s backup quarterback in 2013.

“I don’t have a very high comfort level, obviously,” Muschamp said of the Gators’ depth at quarterback. “Those guys haven’t played a lot, but they’re going to get opportunities this spring to continue to develop within what we do.”

Irish recruiting expert Mike Frank lauded the Notre Dame coaching staff for its efforts in landing its best class in recent memory.

“My overall opinion is I think it’s a very, very good class. I think they filled their needs at almost every position with maybe a few exceptions,” said Frank, who runs the ESPN-affiliated Irish Sports Daily. “I love the talent in this class. They did a great job getting some talented guys, some guys who can come in and help right away, which is important. There are some guys who can match talent with the very best teams in the country. You’re starting to land the kind of players that Alabama can get, and when you do that you’re really raising the talent level in the program.”

Headlining the class is linebacker Jaylon Smith, who will come to campus as the most-hyped player Notre Dame has attracted since former linebacker Manti Te’o. A local prospect, Smith hails from Fort Wayne, Ind., and is the No. 7 player in the country according to ESPN’s evaluation team. The widely acclaimed five-star player checks in at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds with the speed and size to contribute at either of Notre Dame’s outside linebacker positions.

“Certainly Jaylon Smith is a once-in-a-decade, once-in-a-generation type player,” Frank said. “He’s just a guy who can do a lot of things for a guy his size. It’s just very, very rare to have that combination of size and speed. He also has really good instincts.”
Frank said Smith has the potential to contribute as a leader in a similar vein as Te’o.

“I think he’ll have a similar impact to what [former Notre Dame linebacker] Manti Te’o did. When you talk about him as a person, he’s just a truly great kid,” Frank said. “He’s got his head screwed on straight, he’s extremely well-liked and he cares about his community. When you talk about talent, people find this hard to believe but I think Jaylon has more talent than Manti Te’o ever had. He’s easily just as big as Manti but he’s quicker and faster.”

Smith is not the only blue-chip prospect to join the Irish defensive unit next fall. Notre Dame received a late signing from No. 10 overall prospect Eddie Vanderdoes, the nation’s top defensive tackle. Vanderdoes projects to be able to play any position on the defensive line in Notre Dame’s 3-4 defense. Frank said Vanderdoes, who was once committed to USC but warmed up to the Irish after the 12-0 regular season in 2012, is a prospect of top caliber.

“Jaylon Smith is a great player, but to me Eddie Vanderdoes is just the crown jewel of this class,” Frank said. “I know a guy from out where Eddie is from in California who has been covering recruiting out there and he said Eddie is the best guy he’s seen at his position in 10 or 15 years. … I’m really thrilled, to be honest.”

Joining Smith and Vanderdoes in the front seven next fall are a quartet of physical prospects. ESPN150 outside linebacker Doug Randolph, inside linebacker Michael Deeb, defensive end Jacob Matuska and ESPN150 defensive end Isaac Rochell will all suit up for defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s vaunted unit next season.

After spending the 2012 season with a number of converted players from other positions in the secondary due to recruiting defections and injuries, the Notre Dame staff will be happy to welcome a stellar group of four natural defensive backs to campus in the fall. Highly sought-after safety and former USC commit Max Redfield from Mission Viejo, Calif., is the centerpiece of a group that includes a trio of cornerbacks — Cole Luke, Devin Butler and Rashad Kinlaw.

“You’re welcoming just a bunch of good players in the secondary. I think Max Redfield is a tremendous player,” Frank said. “He allows you to do a lot of things defensively. Notre Dame likes to play with a single safety playing up high in some situations and he allows you to do that. In order to do that you need a guy who can run and run well, and also be physical back there. He can do that. He’s a big safety prospect. They can do things with coverage and confuse opposing quarterbacks.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the immediate impact from the 2013 class could come from the running back position. A pair of ESPN150 running backs from Florida will compete to line up in the Irish backfield next season to replace departed backs Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood.

Frank said both players have the talent to contribute right away.

“I love the two running backs in this class. Greg Bryant’s got as much or more talent than any back they’ve signed in quite some time,” he said. “I’ll say the same for Tarean Folston, he’s got a tremendous amount of talent and potential. He just needs to get a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger, but once he does, he’s a guy who can hit the home run and get some big plays. That’s something Notre Dame has been missing for a while from the running back position for a long time.”

Bryant or Folston may one day line up behind the latest dual-threat quarterback to hit Notre Dame’s campus. Four-star quarterback Malik Zaire brings electricity to the signal-caller spot and, Frank said, possesses some similarities to junior quarterback Everett Golson.

“I think he’s quicker than Everett and maybe a little bit faster in terms of top-end speed. Where Malik is really going to shine is I think he’s a great projected leader. People really gravitate to him, his mentality is one where he can become a great leader for this team.”

Rounding out the offensive class are great numbers at the receiver, tight end and offensive line positions. Though Notre Dame did not ink a five-star prospect at these spots, they will welcome great depth in signing five offensive linemen, four receivers and two tight ends to the 2013 roster.

A pair of famous names will line up at wideout, as among the Irish signees are Corey Robinson and Torii Hunter Jr., sons of Hall of Fame basketball center David Robinson and current Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, respectively.

Frank said he is particularly impressed with the group of linemen signed to compete under coach Harry Hiestand in the trenches.

“I think they got five guys who can really pan out and become great players for Notre Dame,” Frank said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if all five end up starting at some point down the road.”

Now that the curtain has fallen on the 2013 recruiting season, Frank said the class of 24 recruits showed Notre Dame’s continued momentum to the top of college football.

“It’s great to see Notre Dame competing with Alabama for some of the top guys and top classes in the country. I think the next step for Brian Kelly and his staff is to capitalize on the 2012 season in recruiting, into the 2014 stretch. They need to get a few more of the five-star guys, guys like Max Redfield, Greg Bryant, Jaylon Smith, those are the difference-makers. Those are the people who make the key plays in the game that decide the outcome of the game. What’s really the difference is if you get a couple more guys who are five-star type players … you have a chance to hang with anybody.”

No. 2 Notre Dame held on to beat Villanova 59-52 at The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa., and McGraw joined 12 other Division I coaches in the 700-win club.

“It made it so much sweeter,” McGraw said of the homecoming atmosphere. “It was just so much better and so great to have all my friends and family in my hometown. It just really made this one special.”

McGraw said her players wanted to get the milestone win, but a road victory over the Wildcats (16-6, 5-4 Big East) was enough cause for celebration.

“I think they were acutely aware (of the milestone) early. I think they were aware and I think they wanted to get it done,” she said. “It’s a hard game for us. It was just a great effort by them to maintain their poise down the stretch. And having a win not just for 700, but just getting a win at Villanova is difficult, so I’m just really thrilled we got that.”

The Irish (21-1, 9-0) never trailed, but never pulled away either. They closed the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 29-21 lead into the locker room, but never led by more than 10 in the second half. With 4:45 remaining in the game, Villanova junior guard Devon Kane sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 48-46. Notre Dame responded with an 11-6 run to seal the victory. McGraw said the Wildcats’ slow offensive tempo kept the game tight.

“Their style of play, that’s the way they play, they use the clock,” she said. “You get one shot and then you know they’re going to come down and use 30 seconds, and if they get an offensive rebound they’re going to use 30 more.

“It’s a hard game to flow when you’re an up-tempo team like we are, because our whole game is based on running and getting the transition going and we just weren’t able to do that. It’s a very difficult game for us.”

The Irish turned up the defensive heat early in the contest, implementing a full-court press every time the Wildcats inbounded the ball. According to McGraw, the tactic was meant to counteract Villanova’s methodical offense.

“We were trying to use some of the clock so that when we were (on defense), we only had to guard their offense for maybe 13 seconds instead of 30,” McGraw said.

Senior guard and leading scorer Skylar Diggins struggled from the field, shooting 4-for-17 from the field, including 0-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc.

“I think the pace was difficult. To play at that pace, you start to press a little bit because you want to go a little faster than normal, so I think (Diggins) was probably just trying too hard,” McGraw said of the guard’s struggles.

Unlike Diggins, junior forward Natalie Achonwa thrived in the matchup against the Wildcats. Consistently playing against undersized Villanova defenders, she registered 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks to lead Notre Dame.

“She’s playing extremely well,” McGraw said of Achonwa. “She’s just such a big part of our offense and what we need to do. I thought tonight she would have a big game because she had a big advantage in size and she used her advantage. We looked for her and we got her the ball, and she did a great job.”

The Irish will head east again this weekend when they face Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., at the Walsh Gymnasium on Saturday at 2 p.m.

On the possession after getting stripped by opposing point guard Aaron Craft, sophomore Trey Burke blocked Craft’s would-be go-ahead jumper with just nine seconds left. Freshman forward Glenn Robinson III hit one of his two free throws, and with less than three seconds to play, junior Tim Hardaway Jr. blocked a Craft layup to secure the 76-74 win for the No. 3 Michigan basketball team.

Controversy immediately ensued, as many, including Hardaway, thought Craft was fouled on the last play, which would’ve sent him to the line with a chance to send the game into double overtime.

“I thought Trey fouled him, and I thought the whistle was going to blow, and I just went for the ball,” Hardaway said. “I saw the ball in my face, so I just wrapped it up and probably got his arm or something like that, but it’s up to the refs to make that call, and they let it go.”

Burke opened overtime doing what he couldn’t do in the closing seconds of regulation. The point guard, who missed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end regulation, knocked one down in the opening 30 seconds of overtime, which proved to be the game-winning basket.

The hard-fought battle gave Michigan coach John Beilein a win on his 60th birthday and kept the Wolverines (8-2 Big Ten, 21-2 overall) squarely in the conference title hunt. By the time Beilein addressed the media, it was past midnight and his hectic birthday was over.

“Thank God the birthday’s over, but it was a good one,” Beilein said, laughing. “This added a few more years (to my age). … That’s why the birthday thing — it’s usually in a stressful situation.

“I’m not a big birthday guy, but this was a good present.”

The teams continually traded baskets in the game’s final minutes. With just more than a minute left, Burke found freshman forward Mitch McGary wide open on the baseline to give Michigan a 72-20 lead. Ohio State tied it up on the other end when Buckeye forward LaQuinton Ross collected an offensive rebound and found Lenzelle Smith Jr. open on the perimeter for a deep two-point bucket. Burke missed a 3-pointer as regulation expired to send the game into overtime.

Burke’s miss, so similar to his miss at the buzzer in Columbus that Craft told Burke in the final moments of regulation that he was having “déjà vu,” was drawn up for the Wolverine point guard to penetrate and at least try to draw a foul.

“We settled there a little bit, but if it goes in, it looks great,” Beilein said.

After taking a one-point lead into halftime, the 10th-ranked Buckeyes’ hot shooting from the first half didn’t skip a beat. Ohio State (17-5, 7-3) built an eight-point lead in the opening seven minutes of the second stanza.

But after a three-point play from freshman forward Glenn Robinson, Hardaway took over to keep Michigan in it, scoring 15 of the Wolverines’ next 19 points — all from five-consecutive 3-point makes. With Michigan down one, redshirt sophomore Jon Horford blocked an Ohio State layup, firing up the sold-out Crisler Center heading into the official timeout.

“There were some times where we could’ve quit,” Beilein said. “There’s some times where some other teams, going way back, they just turn around (and say), ‘This is just too much. I’m getting every shot blocked, they’re getting easy baskets … it’s not our day.’ We didn’t have that at all today, and that was huge.”

Hardaway’s fourth 3-pointer, moments after play resumed, gave the Wolverines a two-point advantage, but the Buckeyes went on another run to retake the lead. The Miami native, who Burke said was “definitely the player of the game,” finished with 23 points on 6-of-9 3-point shooting.

“Some of them were heat checks,” Hardaway said. “If the ball’s going in, the ball’s going in. I can’t do nothing about it.”

Added Beilein: “He was terrific. We couldn’t dial up plays (for him) fast enough.”

Four other Wolverines — Burke, Robinson, McGary and freshman guard Nik Stauskas — registered double-digit points. Bukre finished with 16 points and eight assists, despite being seemingly stifled by Craft all night.

“Those two, you’re watching two of the finest point guards in America play against each other,” Beilein said. “Craft is like none other I’ve ever seen. … That was a great battle and they have a lot of respect for each other, too.”

Craft finished with 11 points, while DeShaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 17 points.
McGary’s best half as a Wolverine wasn’t enough to stop Michigan from entering the locker room with just its second home halftime deficit of the year. The freshman scored a game-high 10 first-half points and pulled down five rebounds, while also recording two steals.

After Ohio State jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Michigan scored the game’s next 12 points and led by as many as 10 points, but after going 5:25 without a single field goal, the Buckeyes stormed back. With two minutes left in the period, they regained the lead, and after a Wolverine basket, the Buckeyes regained the one-point lead, 31-30, and took it into halftime.

Michigan connected on five 3-pointers in the first half but was unable to score a single point in transition. Ohio State shot 50 percent from the field, while its stifling defense blocked three shots and held Burke to just five points and two assists.

The Wolverines managed to outrebound the Buckeyes, despite getting just four minutes — all in the first half — from its regular post man, redshirt junior Jordan Morgan.

Sophomore forward Cody Zeller, with 19 points, led a balanced IU offense that saw all five starters reach double figures.

The first eight attempts for the Hoosiers, across all shooting categories, were perfect. Zeller started the party with a pair of free throws before six straight IU field goal attempts, four of them from 3-pint range, sank through the net.

Freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell was responsible for a pair of the long shots as he continues to show an improved outside jumper as the season wears on.

With a 28-13 lead less than halfway through the period, IU seemed almost too in-control before Michigan reeled off a 10-0 to close within two possessions and remind everyone of its top ranking.

Even the crowd, loud and rowdy from well before tipoff through the early scoring spree, was deflated, until a 3-pointer by senior guard Jordan Hulls injected enthusiasm back into the masses and ended the Wolverine run.

Michigan continued to chip away at the lead, though, and a 3-pointer by Trey Burke, who had 14 first-half points, cut the lead to less than five points for the first time since the opening three minutes.

The second half opened with more of the same, Michigan cutting the lead to two, then one, then a tie on consecutive possessions.

The score deadlocked for the first times since tipoff, IU reeled off another run to take a lead, scoring 11 straight points on a combination of contested jumpers and nifty moves in traffic. Junior guard Victor Oladipo’s successful and-one on an under-the-basket move and another Hulls 3-pointer seemed to give IU the momentum once again.

Much like in the first half, though, Michigan responded with a methodical run of its own to slice away at the lead, their workman-like effort cutting the lead back within two points.

IU was highlighted in the stretch with a failed alley-oop attempt from Hulls to Oladipo.

Zeller had a pair of put-back dunks to boost the lead back to six. The teams traded baskets for a few minutes, before an increasingly desperate Wolverine squad forced several shots as the IU lead built back up and time ran down.

Playing all five starters late despite the lead, IU rode out a battle of free throws to the victory and, come Monday, quite possibly the No. 1 ranking.

Despite playing without their starting center, redshirt junior Jordan Morgan, the Wolverines (7-1 Big Ten, 20-1 overall) used a high-powered attack to jump out to a 15-point halftime lead and never looked back, defeating Northwestern 68-46.

“That was huge for us,” said freshman forward Glenn Robinson III of the first-half run. “It got a lot of people’s confidence up, and coming out on a run like that is always great for the team.”

After trailing 7-5 in the early minutes of the contest, Michigan used hot shooting and a speedy offensive attack to take control against the Wildcats (3-6, 12-10). Sparked by 14 consecutive points from freshmen, the Wolverines electrified Crisler Center with an 18-4 run, which included two 3-pointers from freshman guard Nik Stauskas and two dunks from Robinson.

By the end of its run, Michigan had connected on 10 of its first 11 shots and sank all three of its shots from behind the arc.

“Northwestern gave us different looks … so it was important to get into the middle and kick it out to the open man,” said sophomore guard Trey Burke.

The Wolverines, who played as close to mistake-free basketball as possible in the first half, held a 36-21 advantage at halftime. Led by Burke’s 10 points and six assists on 4-of-6 shooting, Michigan entered intermission with 10 assists and no turnovers, while committing just one foul.

The freshman trio of Robinson, Stauskas and McGary combined to shoot 9-of-10 from the field in the opening stanza, totaling 23 points. Stauskas had three of the team’s five makes from downtown.

“(In the first half), the assist numbers were really something,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “Trey set the tone early. He found Nik, he found (junior guard) Tim (Hardaway Jr.), he found the big men — he did a tremendous job. That’s really how we have to play.”

The Wolverines came out of the locker room a little flat, and Northwestern took advantage, cutting Michigan’s lead to nine points in the opening minutes of the second half. Even after Beilein called a timeout five minutes into the stanza, the Wolverines continued to display a lack of intensity.

But with a 10-point lead with seven minutes gone by in the second period, the Wolverines revved up their energy. Sparked by four straight points from Burke, and hounding team defense, Michigan went on an 18-7 run to stretch its lead to 21 points with six minutes remaining in the game.

“I think that we just needed to step up defensively, and that’s what we did,” Robinson said.

Northwestern never got closer than 19 points the rest of the game. Though Michigan’s shooting wavered late in the contest, the Wolverines kept up their defensive intensity, applying pressure up until the final minutes of the game.

The Wildcats shot just 37 percent from the field, connecting on four of their 19 3-point attempts. They were led on the offensive end by center Alex Olah. The freshman totaled 10 points and three rebounds and was the only player on Northwestern to reach double-digit points.

Burke ended the contest with game highs of 18 points and eight assists, and turned the ball over only once — half of Michigan’s season-low two giveaways.

Replacing the injured Morgan in the starting lineup, redshirt sophomore forward Jon Horford finished with a season-high 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. He gave a big boost to the Wolverines, scoring all of his points after halftime. McGary came off the bench to contribute a season-high 11 boards and six points.

“(Horford) really performed well,” Beilein said. “He’s doing a better job of playing big and was huge tonight. He got a couple rebounds tonight that only redshirt freshman forward Jon Horford can get.”

For once, I don’t think many USC fans will disagree with him.

First, I’ll give the man his credit: I agree with most of what he said. The odds were stacked against the 2012 Trojans. With so much pressure to be perfect, anything less than an undefeated season would have disappointed many, so it was unlikely that the third-year coach would please everybody.

But he didn’t do himself any favors along the way.

At this point, it would be quite redundant to hash through all of Kiffin’s missteps last season, which went far beyond the win-loss figures. The jersey switching, the football deflating and the beatwriter banning have all been well-documented.

Kiffin’s off-the-field transgressions have proved to be distractions and, if we are to believe his words, distractions were something that his players already had had enough of.

“When you have all the hype that this team had around it coming into this season — [the players said], ‘See you in the Orange Bowl [site of the Discover BCS national championship],” Kiffin said in the interview of his team’s mindset coming into the season. “That’s where their minds were, regardless of what we [coaches] said.”

This is where many have taken issue with Kiffin. Over the course of his relatively short career, he has been called many things: petulant, arrogant and dishonest, to name a few. His reputation precedes him wherever he goes to the point that I’m not sure many people outside of his defenders at USC have any nice things to say about him.

But he has also been called something else: a good football coach. A current USC football player said just as much recently, while also criticizing Kiffin for the lack of control he had over the USC locker room. That lack of control was evidenced by the reported incident involving several players. It has been characterized as a “disagreement” by some and a “full-on brawl” by others following the loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

Regardless, few have questioned Kiffin’s knowledge of the Xs and Os. He has excelled in that regard, as well as in recruiting. But it is in the area of managing and leading people, namely kids in their late teens and early 20s, that Kiffin appears to have failed. One needs to look no further than his comments about his own players making plans for Miami before the season even began.

For Kiffin’s sake, and for USC’s, he must improve in this facet of coaching. Whether or not he can remains to be seen. But admitting there is a problem is the first step in combating it, and Kiffin did that this week — a reassuring development. But his other comments were equally troubling.

With respect to the infamous jersey-switching incident that occurred against Colorado, Kiffin claims that the tactic was “100 percent legal,” according to NCAA rules. But, according to Wojciechowski, the NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations manual states, “The following are unethical practices: Changing numbers during the game to deceive the opponent.”

Kiffin claims there was “no intent to deceive.” If that is the case, then what was the intent? To see how redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Kessler looked wearing jersey No. 35?

Kiffin’s refusal to budge on this topic speaks to his stubbornness, a trait that has its positives and negatives in the college football world. With national signing day right around the corner, it will most certainly be an asset in persuading high school players to come to USC following last season’s poor showing. Even with scholarship reductions, Kiffin’s 2013 class has already been lauded as one of the nation’s best, and a strong finish will earn him some goodwill among his detractors.

But past incidents like the jersey switch will always find their way into the conversation, and as a result, forming an opinion on Lane Kiffin will never be as simple as black and white.

In the results-based institution that is college football, I believe Kiffin can succeed. He proved it two seasons ago, and I believe he can do it again. You may never consider yourself a “Lane Kiffin fan” because of his many offenses, but he doesn’t need to win a popularity contest to be the right man for the job of USC’s head coach. He needs better results on the field, not to convince people to like him.

But by winning more games next year, he might just be able to do both.

The deal will make Strong the seventh highest paid coach in college football, with a base salary of $3.7 million per year—a $1.4 million raise. This move now makes Strong the highest paid coach in the Big East conference, and when Louisville switches to the ACC, it is expected that he will remain the highest paid coach.

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich frequently claimed money would not be a problem in keeping Charlie Strong. Jurich adamantly said Louisville would not be outbid for the services of Strong as head football coach.

Jurich left the proof in the paper, as Strong turned down the vacancy at Tennessee in early December with a promise to rework his contract at Louisville.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, Strong’s new contract made him the seventh highest-paid coach in college football. Strong will make a base salary of $3.7 million per year, a $1.4 million raise from what he made last year.

Also, the deal was crafted for the long term; the eight year extension takes Strong through 2020.

This deal makes Strong the highest paid coach in the Big East. When Louisville switches to the ACC, he will most likely remain the high paid coach.

After three seasons at Louisville, Strong is 25-14 overall with two Big East Championships and two bowl victories, including the Sugar Bowl victory over Florida. This was enough evidence for Jurich to restructure a new deal.

“He’s already lived up to it; he’s already earned it. In every aspect of his coaching ability, he has an A+ to me,” Jurich said.

For players, fans and recruits, the details of the contract provided comforting plans for the future.

If Strong leaves in 2013, he must pay a $5 million buyout. That number decreases by $625,000 every year, but still remains a substantial sum for any program interested in Strong.

“Charlie did not balk at anything. It’s a hefty buyout, but we want to make sure this is a long-term contract for both parties,” Jurich said.

The two-time Big East Coach of the Year is put into the ranks of Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops and Mack Brown in regards to salary.

Along with the move to the ACC in 2014, Strong’s new contract should improve the stability of the program, an ever present factor in recruiting battles.

This is not Jurich’s first long term deal with Louisville coaches. He emphasized the importance of keeping good coaches for numerous years.

“I like stability.” Jurich said. “I believe in stability.”

The coaching world is always subject to change, but Strong’s words echo the new contract that could potentially keep him employed to the age of 60.

“You can buy a person a lot, but you can’t buy his heart,” said Strong. “His heart is where his enthusiasm is, where his loyalty is. My heart and enthusiasm is with the University of Louisville.”

That defensive pressure comes from senior center Brittney Griner, who is a force to be reckoned with on the court not just because dunks or the amount of offense she brings to the games. The intangibles are what make the difference.

“Griner, best player in the country, bar none,” West Virginia head coach Mike Carey said. “She’s gotten better every year and she’s under control at all times. As a coach, you think she’s going over somebody’s back. She’s really not. She’s jumping over them.”

The six time Big 12 Player of the Week is the lone collegiate player to make the USA Basketball roster. Griner also holds the NCAA record for career dunks at 11 and the NCAA record for blocked shots at 665. Griner is also the first player to score over 2,000 points and record 500 blocked shots, which displays her effect on both the offense and the defense.

On the offensive side of the field, Griner is ninth in the nation in points per game with 21.5 and 408 points this season. She is also ranked sixth in the nation, and first in the Big 12, in field goal percentage at 59 percent, making 170 out of 288.

But Griner doesn’t do it all herself. She has a great supporting cast to help her out. They play as one unified squad.

Griner opens up the field for her other teammates to score, and they help her with assists or shooting, which takes some of the pressure off of her. Playing team basketball is a skill that she has acquired while playing under head coach Kim Mulkey.

“Last year, I guess I started getting even more patient,” Griner said after the National Championship game against Notre Dame. “I couldn’t get my hands on the ball, keep moving. Whatever I can do, I will do. I took it a play at a time, post up strong when I had to. Did whatever I could to help my team out.”

However, Griner’s effect on the defense is what stands out. Not only does she hold the NCAA record for career blocks, but also she is a big reason as to why Baylor only allowed one team to shoot over 50 percent in 235 games. Many teams have to change their offense because they have to deal with having a talented 6-foot-8-inch center protecting the basket. Because of Griner’s presence, teams settle for more outside shots against the Bears.

This season, teams have shot 414 shots from 3-point range against the Lady Bears, but the rest of the Big 12 averages 316.1 3-point attempts, with Kansas allowing only 220 attempts. This is the pressure that Baylor’s defense puts on opposing teams. The key to her success is the versatility she brings. This allows for head coach Kim Mulkey to draw up creative plays. Griner draws two or three people allowing other players to have more open looks.

“She didn’t really know a whole lot of moves,” Mulkey said earlier this season about Griner’s first days at Baylor. “She just turned, shot, dunked, jump shot. But she’s learned how to read the defender; she’s learned how to feel the defender. Brittney is an athlete in that body. If I wanted to draw up 3-point plays, Brittney Griner could shoot 3-point shots, easily. If I wanted to draw up something where I give her the ball and set screens and say take them off the dribble, Brittney Griner can do that.”

Griner has 2,835 career points and needs two points to break the Big 12 scoring record, held by Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley. She will likely break this record during Baylor’s next game at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Texas Tech.

In an interview with The New Republic, President Barack Obama said that organizations like the NCAA and NFL need to make changes in football to improve player safety, and that fans may have to compromise some of the excitement they get while watching a game to do so.

“Those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence,” Obama said.

One of the points Obama asserted was that the focus of most of his efforts lie with the NCAA. He said that while players in the NFL are well-compensated for the risk they take and the toll taken on their bodies, NCAA players take the same risk without the financial backing.

“You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on,” Obama said. “That’s something that I’d like to see the NCAA think about.”

While Obama primarily kept his interview with The New Republic professional, he veered off a little bit and gave probably his most poignant comment of the entire interview.

Obama, who has two daughters but no son, said that if he did have a son, he would have to give serious thought as to whether or not he would let him play tackle football.

“I’m a big football fan, but I have to tell you if I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football,” Obama said.

Opinions on Obama’s political stances vary dramatically across the country. While Obama handily won the Electoral College this past election, 49.4 percent of voters did not vote for Obama. And neither did I. I am a registered independent in the state of Kansas who voted for Mitt Romney last November.

However, as a sportswriter by trade, ever since Obama was elected in 2008, I have agreed with his hard stance regarding issues in sports and his take on the safety issues in football are right on the mark.

As fans, we often put too much focus on winning and the excitement of the game. Bone-crushing hits often flood the SportsCenter Top 10 even while issues of concussions and other injuries become more and more prevalent.

In the column I ran last week, I mentioned the tragedy of Junior Seau’s suicide. One thing I failed to mention, but that Obama indirectly touched on, was the effect that this game is having on players’ families.

The saddest part of the Seau tragedy was not that the world lost one of the game’s greatest linebackers or that the city of San Diego lost one of its favorite players. The saddest part was that a mother had to bury her son. Seau’s mother’s agony was on full display during a press conference, when she could not contain her grief and openly wept at the loss of her son.

Obama’s comments were not poignant simply because of the fact that a high-profile world leader addressed a controversial issue in sports. They were poignant because the comments put the issue into perspective. Too many parents are losing their children to this game.

Football will have to change to become safer. Hopefully Obama’s comments on this issue will help push safety in football to the front of the priority list in the NCAA and the NFL.

Kelly said the timeline included in University President Fr. John Jenkins’ letter to University officials matched what he remembered.

“When I looked at it, that was all in line with my recollection of getting a phone call from Manti on [Dec.] 26 [when Te’o supposedly told Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco about the ordeal],” Kelly said. “Everything from there kind of followed the time line that had been set-up.

“So everything that [Te’o] told me, every little thing that’s come out of the past couple of weeks is what he told me. So I can only go on the information that he gave me versus what we’re seeing out there.”

Kelly said his initial concern was to figure out what had happened rather than worrying about when to release the information. He said he immediately forwarded the information to administrative officials.

“That was my first thought,” Kelly said. “Let’s find out what the heck is going on here. Because you get a phone call in the middle of the night, and the first thing is this young lady is not, in fact, dead. You don’t know what to think. So try to get dialogue and make sure that we begin to find out what happened here.

“As we went on in the process, our athletic director, Jack Swarbrick was, as you know, a center in it. And he was putting together all the pieces over a period of time. I don’t know that any of us were motivated by — we don’t want this to be a news story.  We wanted to find out what the facts were.”

Kelly added that he was focused on coaching the Irish in the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama and was not involved in the decision on when to release the information.

Te’o, who struggled in the 42-14 loss, did not appear to be affected by the situation leading up to the game, Kelly said. He said he did not sense his captain played poorly because of the ordeal, but he added that only Te’o could answer that question.

“Manti’s a young man that continues to lead, and you don’t really see him — because, obviously, he went through a tough time during the year, and we didn’t really see anything there that would have set off an alarm that he was under so much pressure concerning the situation,” the third-year coach said. “I just didn’t see it as we practiced and leading into the game.”

Kelly said he thinks Te’o will be remembered as a “great leader on our football team on an undefeated team at Notre Dame” and considers Te’o to be one of the best teammates he has witnessed in his 22 years of coaching.

“He was just special to coach, and he did all the great things that I think great players have to do on a day-to-day basis,” Kelly said. “And we’re going to continue to hold him in that type of esteem.”

Forget about everything you think it means to be labeled as the top team in the nation during the middle of the college basketball season. Forget about all of the supposed glory and bragging rights that come with it for just one moment.

Because for all the hype and hoopla that will be made about the rankings following Michigan’s 74-60 victory against Illinois on Sunday — and there is a very good chance that the Wolverines will assume the No. 1 ranking when the polls are released Monday — what the Wolverines did Sunday is far more important than anything that will happen the next day. What they did on Sunday was show growth and maturation. They showed that they are a continually improving team, whether or not their ranking shows it.

Two weeks ago, Michigan couldn’t handle the pressure. Then, the second-ranked Wolverines walked into Value City Arena in Columbus with that coveted top spot within reach. On that Sunday, just three days after then-No. 1 Duke faltered against North Carolina State, they were almost assured of becoming the top-ranked team in the country with a victory.

But Michigan came out flat, lacking energy in the first half against the Buckeyes, fizzling under the pressure. The freshmen showed nerves and inexperience. The Wolverines tumbled their way to a 21-point deficit in the early going of that contest, only to have a failed late-game comeback.

Fast-forward to two weeks later. After a quick re-scrambling of the top-ranked teams in the national polls, Michigan found itself in the same exact position on Sunday, trailing only Duke in the rankings. And with Duke’s loss earlier last week, the Wolverines were offered another opportunity to seize that desired top ranking.

Only Michigan did more than that with its victory. The Wolverines demonstrated that they could handle the hype, that the target on their back hadn’t gotten too big. They played like a much-improved team from two weeks ago.

Michigan came out with life on Sunday. The guards pushed the ball, and the bigs played the aggressors on the glass. And most important of all, the freshmen rose to the occasion.

Swingman Nik Stauskas led the team with nine early points, and together with forwards Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary, the first-year players accounted for more than half of the team’s 35 first-half points. The difference between two weeks ago and Sunday was apparent to sophomore guard Trey Burke.

“I think the freshmen did a good job of stepping up and not playing out of control,” Burke said. “They stayed poised.”

But that wasn’t all. When redshirt junior forward Jordan Morgan exited with a sprained ankle just minutes into the game, the reserve forwards came off the bench to play a huge role in his absence. McGary, redshirt sophomore forward Jon Horford and redshirt freshman forward Max Bielfeldt combined for 17 points and 14 rebounds, including eight boards on the offensive end.

This should have been a tightly contested matchup, and yet, Michigan turned in another double-digit victory.

Sure, Illinois is no Ohio State (mind you, Illinois did beat the Buckeyes by 19 points three weeks ago), but a road win in the Big Ten is a road win in the Big Ten, especially when you have a large target on your back and a possible No. 1 ranking in your sights.

But to the Wolverines, it isn’t about the rankings. It’s not about where they stand now, but about where they’ll stand come March. It’s about winning on the road and growing as a team.

Beilein might have said that best following Sunday’s victory.

“It’s Jan. 27 and not one of you in here can remember who was No. 1 last Jan. (27),” he said. “So to our team, that (ranking) really does not make a big difference. I’m sure to a lot of our fans at water coolers and in coffee shops, and to people who love Michigan and hate Michigan, it’s probably something that they hate or they love right now.”

Yes, it’s coach-speak, cliché to the max. But it’s true. The rankings mean nothing. The Wolverines showed they are continually improving, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the country.

So don’t get hung up on that number, the new digit that will assuredly loom large likely positioned next to Michigan’s name come Monday.

Try to forget about that No. 1 ranking — because the Wolverines certainly have.

Up until now, I resolved never to write about the NCAA, knowing that USC fans have heard it all — at some point, handwringing and finger-pointing just grow tiresome. But in light of the most recent news regarding the NCAA’s flubbing of the Miami investigation, I believe it’s time to air grievances and explain why the institution is devoid of all credibility and moral authority.

Before introducing the NCAA’s latest embarrassment, let’s review USC’s main contention: The sanctions the football program received in 2010 are not commensurate with any precedent and far exceed recent punishments given out to schools for worse transgressions.

When Ohio State and North Carolina received their laughable sanctions before this past season, I gritted my teeth in absolute disbelief.

To boil it down, former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel knew his players were trading their uniforms and bowl game memorabilia for tattoos. Investigators found emails to attest to that. North Carolina decidedly trumped Ohio State, committing academic fraud by allowing six football players to compete while academically ineligible. On top of this affront to the student-athlete ideal, multiple Tar Heels also received impermissible agent benefits totaling in excess of $31,000.

Though USC didn’t give Reggie Bush any gifts or special treatment, the NCAA said in its ruling that the university lacked institutional control and should have expected agents, who drooled at the running back’s NFL potential, to try to make inroads with the former USC star. Ultimately, USC should have taken more steps to ensure Bush’s amateurism stayed intact, the NCAA argued — without question a fair point. No one can argue intelligently that USC didn’t deserve some type of punishment.

But here comes the kicker: If USC gets punished for not knowing something it probably should have known, what happens when university administrations willfully and brazenly violate NCAA rules? Using some warped sense of logic, the NCAA gave Ohio State and North Carolina half the postseason ban and roughly 30 percent of the scholarship reductions USC received.

Though I should have known better, I still held out hope in the form of Miami. Screwing up the Miami investigation would be too big of a feat, I figured. After all, convicted Ponzi schemer and Miami booster Nevin Shapiro fully admitted to throwing sex and drug yacht parties for Miami recruits and even funding an abortion for one of their girlfriends.

But fortunately for Miami, we learned for certain last Wednesday that the NCAA’s incompetence knows no bounds. NCAA President Mark Emmert announced in a statement that the NCAA Infractions Committee bungled its investigation by mishandling at least two depositions while working with an attorney for Shapiro. In essence, the NCAA worked with Shapiro’s bankruptcy attorney to ask witnesses in his bankruptcy case deposition questions pertaining to the Miami investigation, thus obtaining information — under oath — it could not otherwise get. Let’s just say that the chances this attorney keeps her license are pretty slim.

As a result, the long-anticipated notice of allegations against Miami will not be released until an external review of the investigation occurs within the next two weeks. Emmert confirmed that none of the evidence collected illegally will be used in the report and that some of the investigators are no longer working on the case — what a relief, right?

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to understand why high-power universities subject themselves to the whims of an incompetent institution drowning in inconsistencies. The NCAA currently faces six separate lawsuits stemming from its investigative practices.

The external review will be conducted by former Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein, who will also have the latitude to review the NCAA’s methods in previous cases. Such news should interest Trojan fans because Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Frederick Shaller, who currently presides over former USC assistant football coach Todd McNair’s lawsuit against the NCAA, has indicated his belief that NCAA investigators were “over the top” in the USC case.

But even if USC experiences the best-case scenario, with Wainstein recommending the lifting of its sanctions, there will be little vindication. By the time the review goes through the bureaucratic rigmarole, the only recourse available to the NCAA will be to remove the scholarship reductions scheduled for the 2014 season — the last part of the sanctions.

Of course, USC would welcome such a decision, but the damage has already mostly been done. The only serious retribution will come if the NCAA undergoes serious reform and decides to heed its mission of “commitment to fair play.”

But I would caution USC fans to tamp down expectations. We’ve bet on the NCAA to listen to common sense before.

For much of the afternoon, though, the Spartans stayed with the Hoosiers step-for-step.

When the second half slowed to a physical dogfight, though, No. 7 IU still emerged with a 75-70 win against No. 13 Michigan State.

Junior guard Victor Oladipo led the charge for IU the entire game. He led IU in scoring, steals and blocks, and tied for the lead in rebounds

His contributions often transcended the stat sheet, though, as he dived for loose balls and chased down Spartans to deny them apparent breakaway baskets.

IU was able to dictate the pace virtually from the beginning. Even though slumping sophomore forward Cody Zeller lost the tipoff to MSU center Adreian Payne, Oladipo stole the ball on MSU’s first possession, taking the ball the length of the court himself and finishing with a dunk that brought Assembly Hall to its feet.

Minutes later, he would replicate the feat almost identically, from the perimeter steal to the thundering jam.

Payne hit a pair of surprise 3-pointers to keep IU from pulling away early, even giving MSU the lead briefly. He would later hit a third on the afternoon. Before Sunday, the 6-10 center had made three 3-point shots all season.

IU eventually staked a 28-19 lead, but it was a quickly nullified by a 9-0 MSU run that included a dunk off of a stolen in-bounds pass.

IU played both man-to-man and zone defenses during the game,

switching between the two as frequently as each possession. The strategy

was especially flummoxing early on for the Spartans.

With 1:06 to play in the half, the game was again tied, now at 38-38, before 3-pointers by Sheehey and Ferrell, his coming with just two seconds to go, gave IU a six-point lead at the break.

With fewer turnovers in the second half, fast breaks became less frequent and the game slowed somewhat, further preventing IU from running up the score in transition. Instead, its lead never eclipsed seven points.

Oladipo simply adapted to the slower pace. The IU offense had by no

means been a one man show in the first half, but when his supporting

cast’s shots stopped falling in the second period, the offense came to run primarily through the junior guard. He scored 13 points in the second half through all manner of shots.

While the Spartan’s leading scorer, guard Keith Appling, was kept scoreless in the second half and fouled out with 5:17 to go, one-time IU recruiting target Gary Harris stepped up with 14 second half points. He was serenaded by bitter IU fans with chants of “Gary sucks” and “IU reject” all afternoon.

Harris kept the Spartans squarely in the contest all afternoon, twice pulling his team to within a single point.

In the game’s final minutes, after Oladipo’s moments of dominance,  it was a pair of plays by Zeller, who had nine points but largely continued to struggle, that clinched the game for IU.

With 2:09 left and IU leading 72-70, MSU center Derrick Nix was called for a travel. Seconds later, Zeller drove the length of the floor, ending with a finger roll layup at the other end to double the lead.

The score still 74-70 with 14.3 seconds left and MSU getting desperate, the Spartans fed the ball inside to Payne. As he worked toward the basket, Zeller took a charge to give the ball back to IU and effectively clinch the win and a share of the conference lead.

“The hardest part of this experience is seeing my family go through it because of something I did,” Te’o said. “The greatest joy in any child’s life is to make your parents proud. The greatest pain is to know they’re experiencing pain because of you.”

In the hour-long program, Te’o defended his innocence in the hoax supposedly perpetrated by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, however he did admit to misleading people about his relationship with Kekua, most notably the fact they had never met.

“I wasn’t as forthcoming about it, but I didn’t lie,” he said. “I was never asked ‘Did you see her in person.’ That embarrassment [of not meeting her] … scared me.”

Despite having never seen Kekua in person, Te’o said his emotions were genuine following her reported death Sept. 12.

“What I went through was real,” said Te’o, who said he did not know if the personal tragedy aided him in his second-place Heisman trophy finish. “The feelings, the pain, the sorrow. It was real. That’s something I can’t fake.”

Te’o provided voice messages to Couric that he claimed came from who he thought was Kekua. Those messages were aired on the show Thursday. The New York Daily News reported earlier in the day that Tuiasosopo’s lawyer told the newspaper that his client was the voice behind Kekua.

Te’o rejected the notion that he and Tuiasosopo are close and concocted the hoax together.

“Previous to [Tuiasosopo’s confession of his involvement] I had only talked to Ronaiah twice,” Te’o said. “He was to my understanding, Lennay’s cousin — her favorite cousin.”

When asked by Couric if he is gay, Te’o said he is “far from it,” and that he had developed a deep emotional bond with Kekua without ever meeting her.

“She was Polynesian supposedly,” Te’o said. “She was Samoan. She knew a lot about — I’m Mormon and she knew a lot about that. … They knew my standards and my culture.

“I found a lot of peace and a lot of comfort being able to talk to somebody and she knew my standards and culture.”

In advance of the interview’s airing, Couric appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” Wednesday evening and said she found Te’o to be convincing.

“I do think that his affection for this young woman was very real,” Couric said. “I think the relationship was very real. I think that the pain he endured when he was told she had died was very real.

“He would keep the phone on at night and wake up with the phone at his ear in the morning. It’s strange, believe me, but I think it happened.”

In early December, when Te’o claims he first heard from whom he thought was Kekua, he said he continued to speak of her death in media interviews because he was still trying to process the information himself and that it was not until he received a timestamped photo of a girl posing as Kekua on Dec. 21 that he was convinced she was alive.

“Part of me was saying, if you say that she is alive, what would everybody think,” Te’o said of his reason not to make the matter public at the Dec. 8 Heisman trophy media availability.

His mother, Ottilia Te’o, said it “hurts” to see her son’s name dragged through the mud by people who doubt his innocence in the hoax.

“That’s my child out there. That’s my child in my eyes who always puts others before himself,” she said. “I am proud of his character. It just hurts to see his picture and his name being displayed as someone who is dishonest.”

Te’o, who has been training for the NFL Draft in Bradenton, Fla., said the past few weeks have taken a toll on him.

“It’s been hard. It’s been difficult,” he said. “Not only for myself but to see your last name and just to see it flash everywhere and to know that I represent so many people and my family’s experiencing the same thing. That’s what was so hard for me.”

When he came back, he made sure that would not happen again.

Hitting his next six three-point attempts, Sulaimon went on to score a career-high 25 points as the Blue Devils rebounded from their Miami loss with a 84-64 trouncing of Maryland Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“Rasheed played a great game,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He did something that I think is so terrific…. He said, ‘I got you coach. I’ll do better.’ So he just embraced responsibility, and anybody who embraces responsibility has a chance to do better.”

Sulaimon re-entered the game at the 14:01 mark in the first half with the Blue Devils down 13-12, and the guard did not waste his second chance.

First, he knocked down a 3-pointer and drew a foul to complete a four-point play that put Duke up by five. Then, he hit two more 3-pointers on consecutive plays.

“Quinn [Cook] found me early, I got that and-one three, and after that everything just kept falling in, and they just kept finding me,” Sulaimon said.

The freshman stayed hot, hitting two more 3-pointers to finish the half making 5-of-5 from behind the arc. Duke shot 70% overall from 3-point range in the half, a marked improvement from the 17.4% performance against Miami.

“This was just a game that showed basically what our character was like,” Sulaimon said. “Are we going to fold after a big loss or are we going to step up and be men?”

In the 90-63 loss to Miami Thursday, Sulaimon had played with a greater sense of urgency in the closing minutes than his teammates, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the final 10 minutes.

“When he came out in the first half like that [today], I thought this is a carryover,” senior Mason Plumlee said. “He was aggressive at the end of the Miami game. As a team, we weren’t all that aggressive at the end of that game, but he was, and I think it carried over.”

Sulaimon’s offensive performance carried over into the second half of the matchup with Maryland as well.

Duke entered the break with a 43-35 lead, but had given up 12 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points to the Terrapins. With the help of three more offensive rebounds in the first five minutes, Maryland was able to keep cutting into Duke’s lead.

After the 14-minute mark, Sulaimon twice extended the Blue Devil lead back to double-digits. After the second time—on the freshman’s sixth consecutive made 3-pointer—Duke’s lead never dropped back to single digits.

The wingman’s hot hand also opened the court for Plumlee, who scored just four points in the first half and has struggled without injured forward Ryan Kelly in to spread the floor.

“I know a lot of the attention is going to be on Seth and Mason, especially with Ryan being out. The attention is more on those two,” Sulaimon said. “Just doing my job as a teammate, I know that I’m going to have a lot of open shots and that I have to be ready to take them and make them…. If I’m making shots, the defense, the pressure is less on them, and they can take over the game.”

In the second half, Plumlee did just that. The senior put up a 16-point second-half performance, highlighted by a two-handed, reverse putback jam midway through the half.

“I thought his second half was as good as he played this year,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s playing against a pretty good player, a really good player, and that offensive rebound, that got me excited.”

While Plumlee picked up his scoring performance, it was freshman Amile Jefferson who helped Duke compete on the boards.

Behind his team-leading nine rebounds, the Blue Devils were able to pull even on the second-half rebounding margin after Maryland won nine more first half boards.

That improvement on the glass helped fuel Duke’s transition game that produced eight fast-break points.

“We’ll run if we get the ball, and people are sending a lot of people to the ball because they’re bigger than we are,” Krzyzewski said. “If our perimeter gets the rebound, then we’re going to have a numerical advantage on the other end, and that’s what happened. To get the rebound is the thing.”

Overall, all five Blue Devil starters reached double-digit scoring, and the team finished with a 52.4% field–goal percentage against the third-best field goal percentage defense in the nation.

“We weren’t just playing for ourselves,” Sulaimon said. “We weren’t just playing for this team, but we were playing for this program—all the players that came before. To put on that Duke jersey is something special, and we let our program down on Wednesday and we just wanted to respond and just do everything we can to make this program proud.

“I understand I can’t replace the man and I won’t try to,” Polian said. “Nobody could replace Coach Ault. I’m going to build on the tradition he’s laid.”

The native of The Bronx, N.Y. was formally introduced as the new head coach of Wolf Pack football on Friday. The former Texas A&M special teams coordinator and tight ends coach is the 26th head man in the 117 year history of Nevada football.

With his wife and two children in attendance, Polian was introduced to the media by athletic director Cary Groth and was questioned on everything from the Reno weather to how Cody Fajardo compared to Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel. While Polian did mention the question was not particularly fair, he did note the main similarity between the two signal-callers.

“They are both winners,” Polian said. “My brother Chris was scouting for the (Atlanta) Falcons and he told me after watching Cody play, ‘You got a real quarterback’.”

Polian thanked numerous people who helped him along the way in his introductory speech. Among them, were coaches Tony Dungy, Dom Capers, Jim Caldwell and hall of famer Marv Levy. He especially thanked the coaches who he had worked with along the way in college: Charlie Weis, Jim Harbaugh and Kevin Sumlin at Notre Dame, Stanford and Texas A&M, respectively.

Polian is a jack-of-all trades coach and has overseen positions from tight ends to defensive backs. The Wolf Pack is getting a coach with experience on both sides on the ball with an expertise in the kicking game.

“Brian is bright, hard-working, and a well-principled man, and I believe Nevada has hired the right man for the job.” Levy said in a press release.

The head coach is coming into a situation that is three weeks away from national signing day. With most of the secondary depleted to graduation and a hole at running back with Stefphon Jefferson leaving school early for the NFL draft, Polian and his staff have quite a task ahead of themselves.  According to ESPN.com, the Pack only has five commitments as of today.

However, the head coach did bring a reputation as one of the best young recruiters in the business. He was able to bring Heisman finalist Manti Te’o to Notre Dame when he was the head recruiter for the Irish.

“There’s no reason why we can’t recruit student-athletes to this place,” Polian said, “There are a lot of positives here and this isn’t a broken situation.”

The coach even admitted he had already started going after some of his former players at A&M.

One of the biggest questions the new head man has to address is the future of the pistol offense. The Chris Ault brainchild was on life support after offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich supposedly left to Temple. Rolovich is back, and Polian doesn’t see a problem with the offense.

“I’m not a dummy. The offense is pretty good so why change it?” Polian said.

The defensive side of the football has been the Achilles heel of the Wolf Pack football team for quite some time and the new coach didn’t mention what kind of scheme he would use but rather his philosophy.

“It’s not scheme-based but effort-based,” Polian said. “Good defense is multiple (schemes) and we need to have the courage to try new things that not a lot of people agree with.”

The new coach is being thrown into the proverbial fire with next year’s non-conference schedules which includes games at UCLA, Florida State and a home date with the Oregon Ducks. However, he’s not intimidated by the challenge.

“Whoever you put on the schedule we’ll go out and compete with them,” Polian said.

The new era of Wolf Pack football has begun, and Nevada has a man who wants to make the program a national brand.

“We will continue to build a program that this university, city and state can be proud of,” Polian said.  “Not just in Nevada, but all over the west coast people can wear their silver and blue with pride.”

After two years full of questions but absolutely no answers, the NCAA just dropped the figurative hammer on itself. Let’s review the facts, or lack thereof:

Nevin Shapiro, a perpetual liar and swindler with an inferiority complex that he took out on the Hurricanes, is in prison for a Ponzi scheme totaling nearly $1 billion. Shapiro poured his heart out to a Yahoo! Sports reporter who ran with his wild story of illicit gifts, yacht trips and strippers for UM athletes from 2002 to 2010.

The NCAA launched an investigation into this alleged rampant misconduct, benefited from full disclosure and cooperation on the university’s part, but still failed to produce results.

Our athletic department has remained poised, compliant and persistent in its own right, even shutting the football team out of two bowl games to lighten any forthcoming sanctions.

“I am frustrated, disappointed and concerned by President Mark Emmert’s announcement today that the integrity of the investigation may have been compromised by the NCAA staff,” President Donna E. Shalala said in a statement. “… we will continue to work with the NCAA and now with their outside investigator hoping for a swift resolution of the investigation and our case.”

NCAA’s statement on Wednesday was shocking, and borderline humorous. Emmert called out former members of the association’s enforcement staff for improperly obtaining information to use against UM.

Give that a second to sink in. The integrity police have abandoned their own rules. The administrative body tasked to investigate wrongdoing at Miami could not follow its own guidelines.

Everyone is guilty of the occasional unethical misstep. But something feels especially unsavory about this new development in our long-running case with the NCAA.

People always wonder whether the NCAA has a particular vendetta against Miami. Since the brand first exploded during the Jimmy Johnson era, there has been outrage over perceived unethical conduct at the U.

In 2011, Sports Illustrated’s Alexander Wolff wrote a follow-up to his infamous 1995 letter calling for Miami’s athletic program to be shut down. “Your football program has no regard for the rules and your administration has no ability to enforce them,” he said.

Two years and zero solutions later, it’s the NCAA that must look inward to investigate a blatant disregard for its protocol and its “ability to enforce” it.

Will the NCAA ban itself from bowl games? Reduce its scholarships to set the program back a few years? Or does this developing mess warrant the dreaded death penalty?

The Hurricanes’ future is still at stake. The longer this investigation drags on, the more of a hindrance it becomes. But even the NCAA can’t take away the legacy we’ve built, the pride we’ve established or our trust in this program.

We stand with the U.

On Wednesday, the NCAA placed its investigation into the Miami athletic department on hold, and will turn its attention to the association’s own staff.

Several former employees apparently worked with the criminal defense attorney for Nevin Shapiro to obtain information during an unrelated bankruptcy proceeding. Shapiro, a rogue UM booster who said he doled out thousands of impermissible benefits to several dozen athletes, prompted the NCAA to launch an investigation nearly two years ago.

The NCAA does not have subpoena power, meaning the information it gained through Shapiro’s attorney would not have been otherwise accessible.

“To say the least, I am angered and saddened by this situation,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a teleconference Wednesday afternoon. “Trust and credibility are essential to our regulatory tasks. My intent is to ensure our investigatory functions operate with integrity and are fair and consistent with our member schools, athletics staff and most importantly our student-athletes.”

Similarly, UM President Donna E. Shalala released a statement to express her discontent.

“Since the University first alerted the NCAA to the possibility of violations more than two years ago, we have been cooperative and compliant with the NCAA and, I believe, a model for how institutions should partner with NCAA staff during investigations,” the statement read. “I am frustrated, disappointed and concerned by President Emmert’s announcement today that the integrity of the investigation may have been compromised by the NCAA staff.”

Emmert will move forward with an external review of the enforcement committee’s actions. The news of the NCAA’s own misconduct comes on the tail of last week’s report that UM could soon receive a notice of allegations.

Individuals implicated in the NCAA’s UM investigation – who receive a notice of allegations – will have 90 days to respond before any sanctions are handed out.

The No. 25 Hurricanes capitalized on No. 1 Duke’s extreme shooting woes and pummeled the Blue Devils 90-63 Wednesday night at the BankUnited Center.

Duke (16-1, 3-2 in the ACC) shot an abysmal 30.1 percent from the field, well below its season average of 47.3 percent entering play. The Blue Devils missed a handful of open looks and lay-ups that were ultimately too detrimental to overcome.

“Not much to say after that. They were men, we were boys,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The score and the performance reflected that disparity. They were terrific. We did not hold up our end of the bargain tonight.”

The loss was the third-worst ever by a No. 1 team, and while No. 1 Duke fell to 3-2 in ACC play, the Hurricanes (13-3, 5-0) solidified themselves at the top of the conference with an undefeated record.

Duke was leading 14-13 with 10:18 left in the first half, but after that it was domination. The Hurricanes proceeded to go on a 25-1 run that lasted more than eight minutes until Amile Jefferson broke the Blue Devil drought with a layup.

“They made shots, they played with a lot of energy, and we can’t come out flat like that,” Rasheed Sulaimon said. “They made two big runs, and we have to do a better job of slowing them down. When they punch us, we’ve got to punch back.”

The run included 14 unanswered points, as Durand Scott and Kenny Kadji added six each to give Miami a 38-15 lead with 2:53 remaining in the first half.

“The ball doesn’t go in everyday,” Alex Murphy said. “You have to work hard on both ends of the floor, and we didn’t do that very well in the first half. They got a lot of easy shots, a lot of open shots.”

Senior guard Seth Curry epitomized Duke’s shooting woes in the first half by shooting 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. At the half Duke trailed Miami 42-19. Curry finished the game without making a bucket.

“Our three veterans can’t go 6-for-37,” Krzyzewski said. “That’s something I haven’t seen. You’re not going to win if Seth, Quinn and Mason go 6-for-37. When you’re doing that, it’s so unusual that it impacts you in other ways. And it impacts guys that they’re supposed to be leading.”

The Hurricanes scored six unanswered points to start the second half and never looked back. Miami’s trio of Scott, Kadji and point guard Shane Larkin combined for 65 points, as Duke was unable to stop their penetration in the paint. Larkin and Scott also accounted for five of Miami’s nine 3-pointers.

Meanwhile, Duke’s backcourt could not buy a bucket. Curry and Quinn Cook combined to make just 1-of-22 field goals.

“Everybody can’t have a great game every time out,” Sulaimon said. “That’s up to the rest of the team to pick those guys up when they don’t have the night they’re capable of having. We need to do a better job collectively as a team helping our teammates out.”

Sulaimon led the Blue Devils with 16 points and also added four steals.

Duke’s offensive woes were compounded by turnovers and sloppy defense, and the Blue Devils never came within striking range in the second half. Miami cruised to victory while holding the advantage in nearly every statistical category including rebounds, steals and blocks.

Mason Plumlee finished with 15 points but did so on 5-of-14 shooting. He added 11 rebounds for a double-double.

Murphy was a bright spot for the Blue Devils, scoring a career-high 11 points off the bench. Amile Jefferson added a career-high 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting. At the final buzzer the Miami student section flooded the court to celebrate, the second time Duke has watched a ranked opponent rush the court in just 12 days.

“We have to get better,” Plumlee said. “We haven’t won on the road yet. We have to depend on each other more, everyone has to show up, we can’t just have a couple guys show up, and then tonight nobody shows up. We have to get better. We have to be more consistent.”

“So, is Craig Robinson still the coach?”

If you had said yes, I would have asked who the leading candidates were to replace him at season’s end.

Yes, at one time I was as naïve as every Oregon State fan out there who thinks the Beavers’ fifth-year head coach’s job is in jeopardy.

Robinson is not going anywhere anytime soon, nor should he. His seat is not hot, and it’s time you all get that in your heads.

The last two-and-half years have not gone as well as they should have. The Beavers should have won more than five conference games in Robinson’s third season (2010-11). They should have been at least a NIT team last year, and they sure as heck shouldn’t be 10-8 through 18 games this season.

So be it.

I write this because now I don’t want to waste any time later this season discussing Robinson’s future if things continue to go south for the Beavers, who will try to pick up their first conference win tonight against the University of Washington.

Next year, if no one transfers or turns pro, the Beavers will have everyone back except senior forward Joe Burton. Their starting lineup very well could feature four seniors and a junior.

It wouldn’t make much sense to make such a veteran-heavy team start from scratch with a new coach, would it?

“It wouldn’t make sense, it wouldn’t make sense at all,” said junior guard Roberto Nelson. “If you look at the team next year — I don’t even want to talk about next year— but if you look at the team we have now with more experience, plus Angus [Brandt] and Daniel Gomis… c’mon man, that’s a top-25 team.”

The Beavers could finish last in the Pac-12 this season, and I’d still think it’d be a mistake not to bring Robinson back for a sixth season.

Now that we have that settled, let’s move on to the next question: Is Robinson capable of leading this program to its first NCAA Tournament since 1990?

He has the rest of this season, and all of next, to prove that he is.

Though you can’t blame the Beavers’ shortcomings this season on Robinson — they’ve been decimated by injuries (Brandt, Gomis) and had to deal with suspensions (Eric Moreland, Victor Robbins) — he hasn’t given anyone any reason to believe he’s better than a middle-to-lower-tier Division I coach.

And middle-of-the-road only cuts it for so long.

We know Robinson is a good, maybe great recruiter (considering he’s convincing kids to come to a school in Corvallis that doesn’t have a practice facility or a recent history of winning).

He’s also a great motivator — according to those he’s in charge of motivating — and someone the players can relate to, a father figure of sorts. That goes a long ways.

“Before the X’s and O’s, I think [Robinson] has done a great job of getting these guys to believe in him,” said associate head coach Doug Stewart, who coached under Robinson at Brown University for two years before coming to Corvallis with him.

Ah, the X’s and O’s. The jury is still out on whether or not Robinson is a good enough X’s and O’s guy, though Stewart said that hasn’t been an issue this season.

“Look at the Oregon game (a 79-66 loss), the strategy and scheming, we had a lead at halftime,” Stewart said. “A lot of the other games, like the Kansas game (a 84-78 loss), the strategy and schemes have been solid, we just have to be consistent.”

Robinson said you can’t judge his schemes just yet, because he’s had to vary them so much in his time here.

“I’d like to think that I’ve gotten better each year coaching different styles,” Robinson said. “Once we get a couple years of doing things one way, we’re going to be in good shape. This is really year two of playing the way we’re playing.”

So, what are Robinson’s shortcomings as a coach? The things he must fix if he wants to stick around for a seventh, eighth, ninth year?

We’ll start with the most glaring concern with Robinson-coached teams, including this year’s: defense.

“I have to become a better man-to-man coach,” Robinson deadpanned Tuesday.

The Beavers are last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 69.7 points per game, as they have been each of the past two seasons. They’re also last in field goal percentage defense (42.5 percent).

At times last year, the Beavers got away with outscoring teams — they averaged 77.1 points per conference game. This year, they’re averaging just 66 points per conference game, which has made their atrocious defense stick out like a sore thumb.

“All the jobs I’ve had have been inheriting bad programs and turning them around, and one way to do that is to play a lot of zones, play a lot of changing defenses to slow the game down,” Robinson said. “I’d like to get better at the whole concept of man-to-man defense.”

The other thing Robinson must fix: getting his team to play better at the start of the second half.

Whatever Robinson’s saying at halftime isn’t working, because the Beavers have been outscored 55-28 in the first five minutes of the second half of Pac-12 games this season.

“I’m trying to improve on getting my teams to come out of halftime playing better,” Robinson said. “I didn’t think I struggled with that [in the past], but this year it’s rearing its head.”

Oregon began the second half versus OSU on a 15-2 run, ASU began it on a 16-7 run, Arizona a 14-8 run, UCLA an 11-2 run and USC a 9-4 run.

Maybe opposing coaches are better at making halftime adjustments than Robinson is.

There are plenty of other things Robinson must fix, but those are the two things that have stuck out most to me.

Three years ago, I would have undoubtedly said this was a program on the rise.

Now? I’m not so sure.

“This is the nature of our jobs, people want quick fixes, even if it was a horrible place to be just five years ago,” Robinson said. “That’s what I signed up for. If my evaluation is wins and losses, my evaluation is wins and losses. You got to keep winning if you want to keep these jobs.”

If Robinson hasn’t won enough by the end of next season, it may be time for OSU to look elsewhere.

Until then, Beaver Nation needs to relax and see if he can fix this thing that he started five years ago.

This year, junior right-handed pitcher Ryne Stanek and senior left-hander Randall Fan have two of the weekend starting positions, said Chad Crunk, assistant media relations director.

In his sophomore season, Stanek started 17 games and finished the year with an 8-4 record and a 2.82 ERA. He struck out 83 batters in 92.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .229 batting average.

Stanek was named a preseason All-American by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball.

Fant pitched in 15 games last season, 14 of which he started. He finished the season with a 2-3 record and a 3.27 ERA.

The final starting role could be filled by junior Brandon Moore, redshirt senior Trent Daniel, junior Barrett Astin or freshman Trey Killian.

Moore pitched in 19 games last season, 26 as a reliever, and posted a 5-2 record with three saves and a 2.43 ERA. He only allowed 11 walks in 81.1 innings and held opponents to a .230 batting average.

Daniel started four games and pitched in 17 out of the bullpen last season. He finished with a 2-0 record with one save and a 5.06 ERA.

Astin pitched in a team-leading 32 games, 29 in relief, and had a 3-5 record and a 1.99 ERA. His team-high 11 saves were the third highest single-season total in school history.

Killian finished his senior season of high school with a 8-1 record with a .88 ERA and 138 strikeouts. He pitched 10.1 innings in two games during the Cardinal-White series and posted a .87 ERA with 10 strikeouts.

The three pitchers that do not earn a starting spot will join junior Colby Suggs and senior Tyler Wright in the bullpen.

Suggs appeared in 30 games last season and finished the year with a 7-1 record with a 1.38 ERA. He set a new Arkansas single-season record for fewest runs allowed when pitching at least 30 innings by giving up just six runs during the season.

Suggs held opponents to a .203 batting average and struck out 36 batters in 39 innings. He was named a preseason All-American by Perfect Game, the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball.

Wright pitched in 16 games last season, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.60 ERA. He held opposing batters to a .234 average.

Senior Cade Lynch and sophomore Chris Oliver will also potentially get some work out of the bullpen.

As a junior, Lynch appeared in 21 games, posting a 3-1 record, two saves and a 2.11 ERA. He held the opposition to a .180 batting average and struck out 46 batters in 47 innings of work.

Oliver pitched in 11 games as a freshman, one as the starter. He had a 1-0 record with a 3.86 ERA.

A week after dropping to No. 3 following their loss to N.C. State, the Blue Devils are again ranked No. 1. Last week’s No. 1 Louisville lost to Syracuse and Indiana, the No. 2 team, lost to Wisconsin.

Duke received 39 of the 65 first-place votes while No. 2 Michigan received 11. Kansas and Syracuse, tied for third, received seven and eight first-place votes, respectively.

The current top 10, in order, is as follows: Duke, Michigan, Kansas, Syracuse, Louisville, Arizona, Indiana, Florida, Butler and Gonzaga.

N.C. State fell to Maryland last week and dropped from No. 14 to No. 18. Miami benefited from a number of losses in the bottom of the rankings and is now No. 25, placing three ACC teams in the top 25.

The Blue Devils travel to Coral Gables, Fla. for game Wednesday night against the newly-ranked Hurricanes.

“No, never,” Te’o told Schaap when asked if he was involved in the hoax. “Never, not ever.”

In fact, Te’o told Schaap he was not fully convinced he had been hoaxed until Roniah Tuiasosopo, the man accused of perpetrating the scheme, contacted him to admit his involvement in the scheme Wednesday, the same day a report from Deadspin.com broke the story.

Schaap said Te’o showed him Twitter messages from Tuiasosopo from two days ago in which he apologized.

While he maintained his full innocence in the interview, Te’o did admit he made mistakes along the way, including lying to his parents about meeting Kekua.

When the story of Kekua’s death unfolded in the midst of an undefeated Notre Dame season and Heisman Trophy campaign for Te’o, the linebacker said he “kind of tailored my stories to have people think that, yeah, he met her before she passed away.”

“That goes back to what I did with my dad,” Te’o said. “I knew that — I even knew that it was crazy that I was with somebody I didn’t meet.”

“When [Te’o] described her as the love of his life, he meant it 100 percent, although they had never met,” Schaap said. “He did mislead people by saying he met her. He did so because he knew how crazy it would sound that he felt this deeply about someone he had never met.”

Te’o told Schaap the relationship allegedly started on Facebook during Te’o’s sophomore year at Notre Dame, but that it was not until around the Oct. 1, 2011 Purdue game that it grew. He said the relationship started to become more intense in late April 2012, when Te’o was told Kekua was in a car accident.

Te’o told Schaap that he began to sleep with the phone on the line with who he believed to be Kekua once she was in the hospital recovering from the fake car accident and leukemia.

ESPN also reported Te’o supposedly had attempted to video-chat with Kekua multiple times before she purportedly passed, but each time had been unable to see her face in the chat.

Additionally, Te’o told Schaap about a four-way text message conversation before Kekua’s death involving Scripture messages between himself, his parents and the person he believed to have been Kekua. Schaap reported Te’o even showed him the messages during their interview.

Te’o said he never doubted Kekua’s existence or death until early December, nearly three months after he believed she had died.

Corroborating the statements made by Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick on Wednesday, Te’o said he received communication from the woman whom he believed to be Kekua on Dec. 6, but was not initially convinced it was a hoax.

“After he gets this phone call on Dec. 6 … he’s utterly confused,” Schaap said. “He doesn’t know whether to believe this person or not. She tells some story about how she’s been hiding from drug dealers.”

Te’o told Schaap he asked the person purporting to be Te’o to provide a photo with a date stamp, but even after receiving that, continued to be suspicious of the conversation. In addition, Te’o said people associated with Tuiasosopo showed up at Notre Dame’s team hotel during preparations for the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game. Notre Dame did not arrive in South Florida until Jan. 2.

Schaap said Te’o “wanted to get his story out there because he did know what people say to some extent” after a 48-hour period during which he was criticized for his silence.

“He disputed the theory out there that he was completely naive about romantic relationships,” Schaap said. “He said he got sucked into this because he thought he was talking to someone who he shared a lot with. Background, Samoan background, she understood the culture, she understood the language, spoke it better than he did. … It was an intense relationship over a couple months.”

ESPN publicist Mike Humes said on his Twitter account that ESPN “had no parameters on questions. While no TV cameras were permitted and use of audio was limited, we can use anything from the interview across our outlets.”

Schaap said he thought the no-camera setting made Te’o more comfortable, and the arrangement was at the linebacker’s request.

On Friday, ESPN’s Shelley Smith published a report in which an unidentified woman close to Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the alleged mastermind of the operation, claimed Tuiasosopo told her that Te’o is a victim of the hoax.

In the report, Smith talked to two California residents who claim Tuiasosopo duped their cousin in 2008. The two claim Tuiasosopo supposedly used the same name and photos in that hoax.

Late Friday, USA Today reported that three elements of Kekua’s story parallel that of the Tuiasosopo family: a case of leukemia, a car accident and a quote from Tuiasosopo’s father’s Facebook page that Te’o told the team Kekua said prior to the faked death.

The two-and-a-half-hour off-camera interview with Schaap took place in Bradenton, Fla., where Te’o is currently training in anticipation for the NFL Draft.

This week, Katie Couric will conduct the first on-camera interview of Te’o, who will be accompanied by his parents. Segments will be shown during Couric’s syndicated television show Thursday.

The day’s activities started with a replay of the national championship victory over Notre Dame on the steps of Bryant-Denny Stadium, followed by a team parade that ended up at the Walk of Champions.First came the 2012 permanent team captains, seniors Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack and Damion Square, followed by the rest of the football team. Eli Gold, who was already at the podium, heralded each position as they made their way to the front of the stadium.

Despite a busy start to the offseason, players remained upbeat and excited for the future of the program during the team’s official press conference and coach introduction at Autzen Stadium. The majority of the team found out about the promotion Saturday night during a team meeting.

“I feel like our team has a great vibe,” said sophomore De’Anthony Thomas, one of five student-athletes immediately available for comment. “We’re ready to go already.”

“[The freshmen] had a good first half, and they gave us a huge lift [in the second half],” senior forward Mason Plumlee said.

Duke overcame a halftime deficit to knock off the Yellow Jackets by a score of 73-57. If it seemed as if a different team took the court to start the second half, that’s because there was a different lineup. After talking to his team in the locker room, head coach Mike Krzyzewski left juniors Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston—who started the game—on the bench while Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson ran with the first unit to provide a much needed spark.

“I thought we were hesitant to shoot, and no team of mine should be that way. Amile at the end of the half hitting that two helped a lot,” Krzyzewski said.

Sulaimon was coming off the bench for the first time in his career after starting the first 16 games of the season. Mired in a horrible shooting slump—he shot just 28.1 percent from the field in four games this month—Thornton was given the nod over the freshman.

Sulaimon responded by contributing his highest scoring output since Dec. 19 against Cornell.

“Rasheed had his best performance since Temple. For a lot of freshmen, it is tough to keep playing really well, but he had a month where he just wasn’t playing up to the level that he can play at, but tonight he did. He practiced that way for the last three days and it paid off,” Krzyzewski said.

Sulaimon’s benefit for this team is not solely his ability to score, but also his defensive intensity and rebounding. Sulaimon helped lead a Duke defense that forced 21 Yellow Jacket turnovers—more than twice the turnovers Georgia Tech committed in their overtime contest against Virginia Tech last week.

Jefferson was coming off an impressive game in Raleigh against N.C. State, but left the Duke faithful wanting more after fouling out in just 12 minutes. Jefferson collected four personal fouls, but played a career high 28 minutes.

“He started the second half and looked like a kid who has started for a while. He really played well for us and gives us some energy,” Krzyzewski said.

Jefferson is not the physical sort of rebounder that Hairston or Mason Plumlee is, but uses all that energy to find ways to always get his hand on the ball and make plays happen.

“[Amile] is a crafty guy, he’s not going to bang you,” Seth Curry said. “He’s going to work around guys and get offensive rebounds and find lanes to get layups and things like that. He’s done a better job on the offensive rebounds than we did even with Ryan in there so that’s an added bonus.”

Despite the terrific play of the freshmen, and the fact that both started the second half in place of the juniors, Krzyzewski stopped short of saying they would be in the starting lineup when Duke next takes the court against Miami on January 23 in Coral Gables, Florida.

“I don’t know who the hell is going to start next week,” Krzyzewski said. “Should we have people mail in who we should start? If it generates tweets and followers for people, we’re all for that.”

Although Krzyzewski made light of the freshmen’s performance, the way Jefferson and Sulaimon have stepped up is no joking matter. Curry put it ever so simply.

“They’re here for a reason,” he said.

“No, never,” Te’o told Schaap when asked if he was involved in the hoax. “Never, not ever.”

In fact, Te’o told Schaap he was not fully convinced he had been hoaxed until Roniah Tuiasosopo, the man accused of perpetrating the scheme, contacted him to admit the hoax Wednesday, the same day a report from Deadspin.com originally broke the story.

Schaap said Te’o showed him Twitter messages from Tuiasosopo from two days ago in which he apologized.

While he maintained his full innocence in the interview, Te’o did admit he made mistakes along the way, including lying to his parents about meeting Kekua.

When the story of Kekua’s death unfolded in the midst of an undefeated Notre Dame season and Heisman Trophy campaign for Te’o, the linebacker said he “kind of tailored my stories to have people think that, yeah, he met her before she passed away.”

“That goes back to what I did with my dad,” Te’o said. “I knew that — I even knew that it was crazy that I was with somebody I didn’t meet.”

“When [Te’o] described her as the love of his life, he meant it 100 percent, although they had never met,” Schaap said. “He did mislead people by saying he met her. He did so because he knew how crazy it would sound that he felt this deeply about someone he had never met.”

Te’o told Schaap the relationship allegedly started on Facebook during Te’o’s sophomore year at Notre Dame, but that it was not until around the Oct. 1, 2011 Purdue game that it grew. He said the relationship started to become more intense in late April 2012, when Te’o was told Kekua was in a car accident.

Te’o told Schaap that he began to sleep with the phone on the line with who he believed to be Kekua once she was in the hospital recovering from the fake car accident and leukemia.

ESPN also reported Te’o supposedly had attempted to video-chat with Kekua multiple times before she purportedly passed, but each time had been unable to see her face in the chat.

Additionally, Te’o told Schaap about a four-way text message conversation before Kekua’s death involving Scripture messages between himself, his parents and the person he believed to have been Kekua. Schaap reported Te’o even showed him the messages during their interview.

Te’o said he never doubted Kekua’s existence or death until early December, nearly three months after he believed she had died.

Corroborating the statements made by Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick on Wednesday, Te’o said he received communication from the woman whom he believed to be Kekua on Dec. 6, but was not initially convinced it was a hoax.

“After he gets this phone call on Dec. 6 … he’s utterly confused,” Schaap said. “He doesn’t know whether to believe this person or not. She tells some story about how she’s been hiding from drug dealers.”

Te’o told Schaap he asked the person purporting to be Te’o to provide a photo with a date stamp, but even after receiving that, continued to be suspicious of the conversation. In addition, Te’o said people associated with Tuiasosopo showed up at Notre Dame’s team hotel during preparations for the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game. Notre Dame did not arrive in South Florida until Jan. 2.

Schaap said Te’o “wanted to get his story out there because he did know what people say to some extent” after a 48-hour period during which he was criticized for his silence.

“He disputed the theory out there that he was completely naive about romantic relationships,” Schaap said. “He said he got sucked into this because he thought he was talking to someone who he shared a lot with. Background, Samoan background, she understood the culture, she understood the language, spoke it better than he did. … It was an intense relationship over a couple months.”

ESPN publicist Mike Humes said on his Twitter account that ESPN “had no parameters on questions. While no tv cameras were permitted and use of audio was limited, we can use anything from the interview across our outlets.” Schaap said he thought the no-camera setting made Te’o more comfortable, and the arrangement was at the linebacker’s request.

On Friday, ESPN’s Shelley Smith published a report in which an unidentified woman close to Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the alleged mastermind of the operation, claimed Tuiasosopo told her that Te’o is a victim of the hoax.

In the report, Smith talked to two California residents who claim their cousin was duped by Tuiasosopo in 2008. The two claim Tuiasosopo supposedly used the same name and photos in that hoax.

Late Friday, USA Today reported that three elements of Kekua’s story parallel that of the Tuiasosopo family: a case of leukemia, a car accident and a quote from Tuiasosopo’s father’s Facebook page that Te’o told the team Kekua said prior to the faked death.

The two-and-a-half-hour off-camera interview with Schaap took place in Bradenton, Fla., where Te’o is currently training in anticipation for the NFL Draft.

Texas led No. 4 Kansas for all but 31 seconds of the game’s first 35 minutes and led by as many as 11 points in the second half. But the Longhorns managed to let another win slip away, falling to the Jayhawks, 64-59, on Saturday at the Frank Erwin Center.

“We get relaxed a lot when we have the lead,” sophomore guard Sheldon McClellan admitted. “We feel like we can do things that we’re not supposed to do and it not hurts, but it does.”

The Longhorns never trailed in the first half. The Jayhawks briefly led after freshman guard Ben McLemore hit a three-pointer early in the second half to give Kansas a 31-30 advantage. But Jonathan Holmes scored seven of his 10 points during a 12-0 Longhorns run that emphatically erased that lead.

Kansas slowly chipped away at that lead and eventually pulled ahead, 54-53, following an alley-oop from senior guard Elijah Johnson to McLemore, who scored a team-high
16 points, with 4:29 remaining. McClellan’s floater with 2:46 remaining put Texas back on top, 57-56, but it would be the last lead the Longhorns held.

“We just came and said we’re better than this and we’ve got to come together,” Kansas’ senior center Jeff Withey, who scored 14 points and had three blocks, said. “We know
what to expect. We’re a mature team and we got punched. We took the blows and then we punched back.”

McClellan, who scored a game-high 18 points, hit a jumper with one minute left, trimming Kansas’ lead to 62-59 and Texas got a stop on defense, giving it a chance to tie the game on its next possession. But Julien Lewis’ three-pointer from the corner didn’t fall and the Longhorns fell to a Rick Barnes-era worst 0-4 in Big 12 play while Kansas picked up its 15th straight victory, improving to 16-1 on the year.

“I felt comfortable shooting that shot,” Lewis said. “We’ve got to execute a lot better than we have… We were very close out there and we keep losing close games. It hurts us a
lot but we have to keep going. We have to keep fighting each and every game”

The Longhorns were without Holmes for the last two minutes of the game. He scored 10 points and recorded three steals, but played only 14 minutes. He sat for most of the first half after committing two fouls in the game’s first minute and fouled out with 1:58 left when he was called for a charge.

“He’s got to stop putting himself on the bench,” head coach Rick Barnes said. “When he picked up his second foul, he rotated over but he didn’t have a chance. He should have somebody out of bounds. You have to understand where you are, in terms of fouls.”

If Holmes was on the floor down the stretch, he may have prevented Texas from blowing yet another late lead. The Longhorns held an eight-point lead with less than three minutes to play in a loss to UCLA last month and were up 13 points on West Virginia in the second half Jan. 9 before falling to the Mountaineers in overtime.

“We’ve been close all year. We’re just not closing the game out,” Holmes said. “We just get stagnant on offense a lot and get out-rebounded some. It feels like we’re giving up too many offensive rebounds on the defensive end.”

The 26 points Kansas scored in the first half were the fewest it scored in any half this season. Coming into the game, the Longhorns held opponents to 34.3 percent shooting this season. They limited Kansas to 28 percent shooting in the first half, but the Jayhawks knocked down 50 percent of their shots from the floor in the second half.

Free throw shooting proved to be crucial. Texas made only two free throws, one in each half, on eight attempts while Kansas was 21-for-25 from the charity stripe, including a 10-for-11 clip in the second half.

Still in search of its first win in Big 12 play, the Longhorns face Oklahoma in Norman on Monday.

After an afternoon of questions and swirling controversy, Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick addressed the situation, originally reported by Deadspin.com, at a press conference Wednesday evening.

Swarbrick said Te’o received a phone call from the number he associated with Lennay Kekua while he was in Orlando in early December for an ESPN awards show that took place Dec. 6.

“When he answered it, it was a person whose voice sounded like the same voice he had talked to, who told him that she was, in fact, not dead,” Swarbrick said.

Following the phone call that day, Te’o received what Swarbrick called “persistent” contact from the number; the frequency dissipated in time because Te’o stopped responding, Swarbrick said.

Te’o waited to act on the situation until he went home for Christmas on Dec. 21 because he wanted to speak with his family about it in person, Swarbrick said. When he returned to campus, Te’o alerted head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco before Swarbrick was notified.

Swarbrick said he met with Te’o on Dec. 27 and 28 after the linebacker returned to campus for practice leading up to the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game. In those meetings, Swarbrick interviewed Te’o about the chain of events.

“I want to stress, as someone who has probably been as engaged in this as anyone in the past couple of weeks, that nothing about what I have learned has shaken my faith in Manti Te’o one iota,” Swarbrick said. “The same great young man, great student and great athlete that we have been so proud to have be a member of our family is the same guy tonight, unchanged in any way, except for, as he indicated in a statement in his release, the embarrassment associated with having been a victim in this case.”

Following the meetings, Swarbrick met with University leaders and they made the decision to acquire the services of an independent investigative firm. Swarbrick said he met with Te’o’s parents — Brian and Ottilia Te’o — on Jan. 4, and the family made the decision to release the story sometime the week of Jan. 20.

Swarbrick refused to release many of the details regarding Te’o’s perceived relationship with Kekua, saying it’s “Manti’s story to tell.” He added that the University does not plan to publish the investigative firm’s results. Swarbrick said he does not know the details of when or how Te’o plans to speak about this, but said it could come as early as Thursday.

Swarbrick said authorities have not been alerted to the case, due in large part to the lack of criminal activity such as extortion.

Swarbrick said Te’o never met with anyone claiming to be Kekua in person and that the entire relationship was conducted electronically and over the telephone. Te’o had spoken of falling to sleep in bed with Kekua on the line in a story that appeared in the Oct. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated.

“There were lengthy, long telephone conversations,” Swarbrick said.

“The issue of who it is, who’s playing what role, what’s real and what’s not here is a more complex question than I can get into.”

The comments contradicted published reports in October that Te’o met Kekua in person in Palo Alto, Calif., in Nov. 2009 when Notre Dame played at Stanford over Thanksgiving weekend.

“I’ll let Manti provide the details, but as I said earlier in this press conference, when Manti took me through the entire story from start to finish, when he first described the contact, he used the verb ‘met,’” Swarbrick said. “For him, the fact that they connected online, that they met online, was consistent with using that verb.

“Not one that I might have chosen, but it was for him. And the timing was consistent with the playing of that game.”

Stanford University spokesperson Lisa Lapin issued the following statement to The Observer regarding Kekua’s alleged enrollment at the school:

“We’ve had no student attending Stanford by that name or any other similar name.”

Additionally, Dan Anderson, an employee at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, told The Observer there is no record of Lennay Kekua or anyone with a similar name dying in the county from Sept. 11 to 13. It had been reported that Kekua died in Carson, Calif., sometime around those dates.

Te’o released a statement to ESPN Wednesday afternoon in which he said the situation has been “painful and humiliating.”

“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her,” Te’o said.

“It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life.”

Until Te’o speaks in more detail, the controversy surrounding the star player who helped return Notre Dame to national prominence on the field will continue to build. But Swarbrick made it clear throughout Wednesday’s press conference that Te’o has the University’s full trust and support.

“There’s a lot of tragedy here,” Swarbrick said. “There’s a lot of sorrow here.  But the thing I am most sad of, sad about is … that the single most trusting human being I’ve ever met will never be able to trust in the same way again in his life.  That’s an incredible tragedy.”

“On Dec. 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te’o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia. The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax. While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators,” Brown’s statement said.

Te’o also issued a statement.

“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her. To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating. It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life. I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick. I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been. In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was. Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I’m looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.”

Lisa Lapin, Stanford University spokesperson, issued the following statement to The Observer:

“We’ve had no student attending Stanford by that name or any other similar name.”

The South Bend Tribune reported in October that Te’o met Kekua at Stanford in 2009 following a game against the Cardinal.

Dan Anderson, an employee at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, told The Observer there is no record of Lennay Kekua or anyone with a similar name dying in the county from Sept. 11-13.

Reports of Kekua’s alleged death surfaced in September, leading up to Notre Dame’s road contest at Michigan State. Te’o’s grandmother died within hours of when Kekua was reported to have passed away.

Te’o’s athletic achievements, combined with a personal story involving the two deaths reported to be close to him, led to a second-place finish in the Heisman Trophy balloting in December.

The Eagles announced Kelly as the successor to former Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid, who was fired on Dec. 31.

“Chip Kelly will be an outstanding head coach for the Eagles,” said Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie in a statement, per ESPN. “He has a brilliant football mind. He motivates his team with his actions as well as his words. He will be a great leader for us and will bring a fresh, energetic approach to our team.”

According to the Eagles website, Kelly met with Lurie, team president Don Smolenski and general manager Howie Roseman for nearly nine hours in Arizona after his Fiesta Bowl win. Both parties were “engaging in a wide-ranging, enthusiastic discussion of everything from football philosophy to management and organizational values and ideas.”

In the days after the Ducks’ Fiesta Bowl win, Kelly met with representatives from the Eagles, the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. On the night of Jan. 6, reports indicated that Kelly had decided to stay at Oregon, though no extended contract had been signed.

Just 10 days after he said he was “ecstatic” that Kelly had decided to stay with the Ducks, Oregon director of athletics Rob Mullens released a statement after the athletic department confirmed the move:

“I want to thank Chip for his leadership and commitment to building on the Oregon Football foundation of excellence. We have enjoyed incredible success over the past four years. I have great respect for Chip, consider him a friend and wish him the best of luck in the NFL. Oregon Athletics has executed two successful head coach transitions in the past 18 years and each time we continued our ascent. We are focused on identifying a leader who is the right fit to guide Oregon football.”

In the wake of the announcement, Kelly was so talked-about that he became a nationwide trending topic on Twitter. Former Ducks, current NFL players and sports media figures from around the U.S. sounded off on the surprise move.

Mat Kearney, the singer-songwriter and Eugene native who became a viral sensation in the days after the Fiesta Bowl for his “Chip Don’t Go” plea, was particularly heartbroken. “Should have been more specific about Philly. I failed,” he tweeted.

In four seasons at Oregon, Kelly had as many conference championships as he did conference losses (three), and guided the Ducks to four straight BCS bowl games, the longest active streak in the nation. Oregon was among the nation’s leaders in rushing yards, total offense and scoring offense throughout the Kelly era thanks to a high-octane, uptempo offense that has already been mimicked by several other coaches.

Kelly finished his career at Oregon with a 46-7 record, including Rose and Fiesta Bowl wins. This will be the 49-year-old’s first foray into coaching in the NFL.

But as the world reacts to Armstrong’s confession, the question remains as to how the world should view the man once considered the most influential athlete in the world and the legacy he leaves behind — which includes the Livestrong Foundation, which has raised more than $470 million to fight cancer.

There is no denying the despicable reality of Armstrong’s actions, even more so his emphatic dedication to lying about them. Armstrong cheated and lied about doing it under oath during a court deposition in 2005 and in the media multiple times after that. Armstrong will have to face many people regarding his actions — the World Anti-Doping Agency, all of his past sponsors, all of his past team mates all of the people who claimed that he was doping before and all of his fans.

But nobody understands the seriousness of his actions more than Armstrong himself.

More than anything that Armstrong has accomplished, recovering from his reputation will turn out to be the second most trying fete he will ever face.

Regardless of the implications that doping will bring, Armstrong’s influence extends far beyond his accomplishments as an athlete. When he was 25, he was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.

Armstrong battled through cancer, got back on his bike and won the Tour de France seven times in a row. It made for an inspirational story and Armstrong lived the life of a celebrity and hero for years after that, starting Livestrong Foundation in 1997. Armstrong reportedly apologized to Livestrong before taping the interview.

He was one of the few bicyclists who were a household name and an inspiration to those affected by cancer.

His story forces the public to question the standards that we place on athletes and the pedestal we put them on just to watch as they notoriously fall.

While there is no sense or humility in rationalizing Armstrong’s actions, there is humility in allowing Armstrong — and his foundation — the chance at a normal and vitriol-free life as long as he tells the truth.

Armstrong, like the majority of people, was prone to the inevitable cadence of feats and failures that define the human condition. Despite how much he may have disappointed those who looked up to him, it would be unwise for us to overlook his contributions outside of professional cycling and his storied battle against cancer.

The lockout, which was the league’s second such labor dispute in eight years, caused all sorts of changes in the way the league is run, mostly at the expense of those actually playing hockey. Team owners were able to wrangle a further seven percent of league revenue away from the players, put new caps on contract lengths and institute one-time “amnesty buyouts” on expensive deals.

In return, the players got some improvements to their pension fund. Fans got less. And in eight years, the owners have the option to opt out of the CBA again, which means we’re staring down another season of lost games in 2022.

But in the meantime, the players will lace up and play a shortened 48-game season, one missing the Winter Classic, the NHL Premiere series in Europe and more than 500 other nights worth of national anthems, one-timers and final buzzers.

But while the entirety of this drawn-out lockout has been an absolute travesty, the shortened season may be a blessing in disguise for both players and fans.

For the players, who often are ground into pieces by the September-to-June marathon of a schedule, a shortened season should cut down on wear-and-tear injuries and extend careers. The short schedule has also forced the league to cut inter-conference play entirely, which means no more exhausting cross-country road trips (I don’t think the Vancouver Canucks will miss their midseason trips to Florida).

Fans will benefit as well from fewer games, as each takes on further significance in the sprint to the playoffs. Winning or losing streaks will double in importance, as a team that comes out of the gates slowly or loses five straight might fall out of the running entirely. And matchups against divisional rivals, which make up 18 of the 48 games, will be more crucial and more heated than ever.

Shortening up the season is a concept that can help other sports too, as we saw in the wildly exciting 66-game NBA season eventually won — as The Observer’s associate sports editor Matt DeFranks has probably already told you — by the star-studded Miami Heat.

It will never happen because another night of games is another night to fill stadiums and make money, but play would benefit from trimming back overlong seasons.

Baseball was never meant to be played in November, and back when Lord Stanley handed out his first Cup, you can bet it wasn’t in June. Cut the MLB schedule to 120 games and the NHL and NBA to 60 apiece. You can add in more midseason off days, and still cut down on some of the most brutal road trips, as well as the whole last month of the season.

And if you think fewer games are less fun, just look up to the king of American sports, the NFL. It runs circles around the other leagues, thanks to 16 do-or-die matchups that define our weekends.

So enjoy this frantic NHL season, and hopefully it can spur our sports to embrace the saying, as old as Lord Stanley himself, “Less is more.”

I just hope it doesn’t take more mindless lockouts to do it.

After never truly getting into an offensive rhythm, save an 18-point first half performance from sophomore forward Cody Zeller, the Hoosiers couldn’t surmount a strong-enough comeback after falling behind by double-digits in the second half, losing 64-59 to the Badgers.

Coming into Tuesday’s matchup with Wisconsin, the Hoosiers had been held to less than 70-points just twice this season, both times resulting in wins against Georgia and Iowa.

But in nine of the last 10 meetings between the Hoosiers and the Badgers, IU had reached the 70-point threshold just once, a Big Ten tournament loss last season 79-71.

Junior guard Victor Oladipo put the Hoosiers on the board quick, though, with a 3-pointer from the top of the key in IU’s first possession.

From there, though, the Badgers were able to stifle most of IU’s offensive production in the first half, holding the team to just 32 first half points as well as just three points on the fast break.

The lone bright spot for the Hoosiers in the first 20 minutes came from Zeller, who went on two scoring runs, of eight and six points, respectively, to help keep the Hoosiers in the thick of things. He finished the half with 18 points, and along with senior forward Christian Watford’s 3-pointer with 20.8 seconds left in the half, the Hoosiers went into the locker room with a 32-31 lead.

But in the second half, it appeared that Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan had found a way to neutralize Zeller down low by eliminating him as an open option for that extra pass which burned the Badgers in the first half. Zeller managed just five points in the second half to finish with a game-high of 23.

And without much scoring late from the sophomore forward, the IU offense struggled.

The Hoosiers fell behind by as many as 10 points in the second half as Wisconsin built up a lead during a 2:54 stint midway through the half where IU failed to score and the Badgers rattled off nine-straight points to go up 47-39.

The Wisconsin lead would reach its peak at 51-41 to cap a 13-2 Badger run, but the game seemed to turn from there for a moment.

The Hoosiers, as a team, seemed to find their offensive touch for the first time all game. Watford and Oladipo hit back-to-back buckets for IU, with a steal from Zeller in between, and IU was now back within a couple possessions.

The game stalled for more than two-and-a-half minutes as several loose-ball and foul calls failed to go IU’s way as Hoosier Nation nearly reached a boiling point, but with three-straight Hoosier free throws and a 3-pointer from freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, IU was back within one, 52-51.

But the IU offense simply couldn’t keep the momentum going.

The Hoosiers would make just one field goal after Ferrell’s three with 4:43 left, and down the stretch, Wisconsin again pulled farther ahead with a string of six free throws to end the game and give IU it’s 11th-straight loss to the Badgers.

Newton is enrolled at classes at Auburn, AU officials confirmed to WSFA 12 News’ Sally Pitts. He is working toward getting his sociology degree.

Photos of Newton in class made the rounds on social media. Head coach Gus Malzahn, who was Newton’s offensive coordinator in 2010, tweeted, “Happy to see my man Cam back at AU this semester working toward his degree. #wareagle”

Newton attended Florida and Blinn Community College in Texas before enrolling at Auburn. During his one-year stay at Auburn, Newton led the team to its second national championship in school history and won the Heisman Trophy after a record-setting season.

Newton was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2011, the NFL team with which he still plays. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to play in the 2012 Pro Bowl.

Armstrong, who had spent the last few years swearing that he had won his titles without any performance-enhancing drugs, is coming out with the truth after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)charged Armstrong with having used performance-enhancing drugs during events last summer. The USADA then sentenced Armstrong to a lifetime ban from competition late last summer, keeping Armstrong away from any major cycling events and stripping him of all his titles won since August of 1999 with his first Tour de France victory.

Following soon after, Armstrong was forced to drop out of his Livestrong foundation as chairman due to the continuing allegations. According to ESPN, Armstrong came clean in front of his staff and made an apology that led some staff members to cry early Monday morning.

This interview with Winfrey is Armstrong’s first public response since the ban brought by the USADA, according to ESPN, and in a sent text message to the AP earlier this weekend, Armstrong wrote “I told her (Winfrey) to go wherever she wants and I’ll answer the questions directly, honestly and candidly. That’s all I can say.”

The interview with Oprah Winfrey is set to air on the OWN Network on Thursday Jan. 17.

O’Neill finishes his USC tenure with a 48-65 record, with last season’s abysmal record and this year’s slow start likely contributing to his dismissal. USC battled a rash of injuries while finishing 6-26 (1-17) in 2011-12, and is currently 7-10 on the year, with a 2-2 record in Pac-12 play.

Associate head coach Bob Cantu will take over as the interim head coach. Cantu has been with the team since 2000 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2010.

O’Neill took over the USC job in the summer of 2009 in the wake of an NCAA investigation of the program under previous coach Tim Floyd. Despite facing adversity stemming from the program’s sanctions, which included a postseason ban, the Trojans finished 16-14. O’Neill had his most successful season in 2010-11, going 19-15 and earning an NCAA tournament berth. The Trojans were defeated in the first round by Virginia Commonwealth.

Things went downhill from there. Last season, USC’s top returning player, senior point guard Jio Fontan, tore his ACL during a summer team trip to Brazil. Fontan missed the entire season, while other heavy contributors in forwards Dewayne Dedmon and Aaron Fuller, among others, missed significant time also because of injury. The Trojans’ 26 losses that season were the most in school history and presumably put O’Neill on the hot seat heading into this fall.

The Trojans had high hopes for 2012-13, as USC brought in a slew of transfers, including senior forward Eric Wise from UC Irvine and arguably the top junior college transfer in the country in junior J.T. Terrell, a former Wake Forest standout. The talent was improved over the prior season, but the early results were all too similar.

After starting the season 3-1, the Trojans lost five in a row in a difficult non-conference stretch that included losses to three ranked teams.

“We overscheduled,” Cantu said. “We should have had more bye games in there.”

At 5-8, the Trojans were the only Pac-12 squad to finish with a losing record in non-conference play. USC won its Pac-12 opener against Stanford, but then dropped winnable games against Cal and Colorado. The Trojans defeated Utah 76-59 on Saturday, but the team’s first road victory in nearly 14 months was not enough to save O’Neill’s job.

At the end of the day, it came down to winning: something O’Neill was not able to do enough of during his tenure.

“It was hard for me to evaluate him as a head coach until this year when he had enough players and veterans to compete,” Haden said in the statement. “As the season progressed, it became evident to me that we needed new leadership in our men’s basketball program.”

O’Neill is known for his loud and witty personality but also became infamous for an altercation with a U. Arizona booster in March 2011. O’Neill was previously the interim head coach at Arizona for one season as well as head coach of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, among other NBA and college stops.

“He’s someone I’ll hopefully remain in contact with for the rest of my life,” said Fontan, who called O’Neill this morning after learning of his firing. “He taught me a lot on what it takes to be a pro at the next level, about going through life changes and how you just fight through a lot of things.”

Wise, the team’s leading scorer, also expressed surprise at the decision.

“It was shocking, but it’s just something you have to go through and we all have to deal with,” Wise said.

Cantu has never been a head coach at the college level outside of one game after O’Neill’s suspension in 2011, and was mum on whether he thinks he’ll be considered for the position over an outside replacement.

“As an assistant, your goal was always to become a head coach,” he said. “It’s always been my goal, [but] you never envision it happening this way, that’s for sure.”

The Trojans are only four games into their Pac-12 slate, giving Cantu almost half a season to make his mark.

“There are 14 games left and there are a lot of things that can happen,” Cantu said. “Anything is possible.”

Lacy projects to be a second-third round pick. He battled nagging foot and leg injuries at the start of the 2012 season, but got stronger as the year went on. The Geismar, La. Native had his two best games of the year on the biggest stages; he earned Most Valuable Player honors in the Southeastern Conference Championship game (181 yards and two touchdowns) and was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the BCS National Championship game (140 rushing yards and two total touchdowns). Lacy said the thought of returning entered his mind, but his long-term health was the biggest factor.

“We don’t have a lot of years to play this position so you have to go while you can,” Lacy said. “I’d love to come back because this is a great place. We have the best fans, but I didn’t want to risk coming back and not having a good year or maybe even risking injury. I’ve had my share of injuries this year, so I figured I should get out while I can.”

Lacy led the team in rushing with 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns on 204 carries. He chipped in 189 receiving yards and two touchdowns. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. has Lacy as the No. 6 running back. The redshirt junior finished his career with 2402 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns on 355 carries. Lacy said he submitted paper to the NFL Draft Advisory Board before the national title game and was projected as a second round pick at best.

Milliner is the No. 10 overall prospect on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Big Board. At 6-foot-1 and 199 pounds, Milliner is considered the top defensive back in the country. He recorded 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and broke up 20 passes.

The Millbrook, Ala. native was a unanimous first team All-American, first team All-SEC and a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year) and the Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back). Milliner said he made the decision two days ago and receiving a first round grade was the only reason he left.

“If I felt like I wasn’t a first-round pick, I would have come back and developed more and had another good season,” Milliner said.

Fluker, who could not attend, is Kiper’s No. 8 offensive tackle and a mid-late first round pick. The redshirt junior was a part of a dominant offensive line that produced two 1,000 yard rushers. The Foley, Ala. native logged 35 career starts at right tackle and missed only 11 assignments (98.6 percent) in 728 snaps this season (only two penalties).

“D.J. is a really, really hard worker,” head coach Nick Saban said. “He’s the type of guy that really wants to please the coach. He works hard to do things the way you’d like for him to do them, personally, academically and athletically. I’m proud of what D.J.’s been able to accomplish in his career.”

Saban said he doesn’t expect any other juniors to declare for the draft, but said he’s been around long enough to know that surprises happen.

Following the 2011 national championship season, Trent Richardson, Dont’a Hightower and Dre Kirkpatrick all entered the NFL draft early and all three went in the first round of the draft.

Championship celebration

There will be a parade and a program on the stadium steps to honor Alabama’s 2012 BCS National Championship team on Saturday, Jan. 19, Saban said.

“This is a pretty quick turnaround, but our fans have always been great about coming out and showing their appreciation for the hard work and the sacrifices these young men have made,” Saban said. “We’re really excited about having a great turnout to honor this team.”

Senior guard Jordan Hulls had 19 points and iced the game for IU with multiple trips to the line in the final minutes. Junior guard Victor Oladipo led IU with 20 points.

As has seemingly become routine in games this season, the game stayed close in the early going. IU controlled the board in the opening minutes, but 3-point jumpers by Minnesota’s Andre Hollins kept it even until other Gopher’s found their touch on layups.

IU responded by feeding the ball inside to sophomore forward Cody Zeller. Though he passed out to open teammates on several occasions, Zeller still scored 6 of IU’s first 14 points.

Minnesota pulled within a single point at 16-15 before one of IU’s customary scoring sprees began, starting with 10 straight IU points.

After an early miss, Hulls hit several 3-pointers, including one from several feet beyond the arc. He finished with four 3-pointers by halftime.

In other cases, the defense forced turnovers that bred quick offense for IU. At one point, Zeller reached out his long arm to steal a pass and start a fast break.

Moments later, Oladipo seemingly barreled through a Minnesota ball handler, emerging with the ball on his way to a score.

IU closed the half on an 36-14 run overall during the final 11:03 to enter the half leading 52-29.

Much as IU fed off its defense in the firs thalf, Minnesota took advantage of four IU turnovers early in the second period to cut its deficit to 13.

The game’s pace changed as the second half wore on as Minnesota dictated more half court sets. When IU had the ball, Minnesota often had a defender on the IU point guard before he reached half court.

The referees were more active as well, further slowing down the half. After only nine toal fouls called in the first half, it took just 6:54 to reach that mark in the second.

IU could not capitalize on its chances from the line, though, shooting 26-of-40 for the game, a regression after improved play on free throws.

This allowed Minnesota to continue to chip away at the lead. With 5:55 remaining, the Hoosier lead was down to 12. By the 2:48 mark, it was down to nine, single digits for the first time in just under 25 minutes.

A Minnesota steal threatened to make it a two-possession game before an Oladipo rebound and two timely free throws made it a 10-point game once again and appeared to ice the win for IU.

However, two more 3-pointers by the Gophers, including Hollins’ fifth, and several fouls against IU near the Minnesota basket sliced the lead all the way down to four.

Hulls hit one of two free throws, but a controversial foul call on IU with 19.5 seconds remaining allowed Minnesota to pull within three points. Free throws by Hulls and Watford finally iced the win for IU.

And on Saturday, it was the Wolfpack’s state. A deadly fastbreak attack paced by senior floor general Lorenzo Brown—who finished with 12 points and dished out all 13 of N.C. State’s assists in the game—combined with powerful inside forces Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie were too much for the shorthanded Blue Devils to overcome, as N.C. State earned the 84-76 victory.

“Their transition is what really won the game for them,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “And [Howell] is just a beast.”

Playing its first true road game of the year in a hostile environment of more than 19,000 Wolfpack fans and without senior forward Ryan Kelly, No. 1 Duke (15-1, 2-1 in the ACC) looked as if it was in position to take No. 20 N.C. State (14-2, 3-0 in the ACC) to the wire at half when it only trailed by two points.

From the onset of the second half, N.C. State looked poised to earn a signature conference win over the top team in the country by starting the half with a 8-2 run, owning the glass and forcing Duke to take difficult shots. From there, the Wolfpack had control the rest of the way.

“We drew some energy off our fans, no question about it,” Wolfpack head coach Mark Gottfried said. “Our guys played really hard, they knew this was a big deal. Our ability to finish defensive possessions with rebounds in the second half helped us. The best offense we could run was getting on the boards and scoring.”

Senior Richard Howell—a bruising 6-foot-9, 257-pound big man—punished Duke on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds and scoring 16 points. Junior C.J. Leslie, his running mate in the frontcourt, showed why he was voted the preseason ACC Player of the Year—finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 field goal shooting and 7-for-8 at the charity stripe. Making those stats even more impressive, Leslie was guarded by Mason Plumlee—Duke’s best player and National Player of the Year hopeful—for much of the contest.

“C.J. was unbelievable,” Gottfried said. “I think in the second half he made his mind up and down the stretch offensively he was nearly unguardable. He showed a lot of resilience just to keep attacking the rim.”

The Plumlee-Leslie matchup was arguably the most intriguing of the afternoon. Plumlee was able to muster 15 points and 11 rebounds against perhaps the most formidable froncourt he has faced this season.

Despite fighting admirably all game-long when N.C. State was often on the verge of pulling away in the second half, the Blue Devils could not catch the breaks it needed to keep its perfect record in tact. Senior guard Seth Curry was consistently clutch all day by hitting timely shots to keep Duke within arms reach of the Wolfpack for much of the day. The senior netted a team-high 22 points on 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range.

Unfortunately for Duke, Curry slipped on the court and was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury in the closing minutes of the game.

“[Curry] played well,” sophomore point guard Quinn Cook said. “He’s the best shooter in the country. He made it rough for their defense to guard him.”

Coming off the bench against the squad he nearly picked over Duke last May, freshman forward Amile Jefferson—who played well with 10 points and four rebounds in just nine minutes of action—fouled out of the game at the 8:07 mark with Duke down just 62-57.

Jefferson fouling out proved to be one of the turning points in the game. From that point on, Leslie and Howell continued to overwhelm Duke in the paint down the stretch, while the Wolfpack’s athletic fast break was able to finish when it needed to, allowing them to build a double-digit lead 67-57 with 7:07 left to play. To seal the victory, N.C. State held off the Blue Devils by converting from the free throw line as the game drew to an end.

Like Jefferson, junior guard Tyler Thornton—a defensive-orientated guard, who Krzyzewski used over starting freshman guard Rasheed Sulaimon for much of the second half—was riddled by foul trouble against a dynamic N.C. State backcourt, and fouled out in the closing seconds of the game.

“[N.C. State is] a great team,” said Cook, who finished with 17 points and seven assists. “They are very athletic. Purvis and Brown in transition are very tough to stop… They got going in the second half.”

With Kelly out of commission, the Blue Devils have struggled considerably. The team is just 4-5 when he is out of the lineup, dating back to last season.

Josh Hairston, who celebrated his 21st birthday today with his first start of the season in place of Kelly, finished with eight points and five rebounds.

“Amile and Josh played well,” Krzyzewski said. “We got 18 and 9 from them. They just don’t know the defense and execution of the offense as well as Ryan [Kelly]. We’re not a great team with Ryan, we’re a really good team, but we’re better than our parts when we have them all together.”

A successful showing in Columbus would have made the Wolverines 17-0, their best start in program history.

Beating Ohio State would have given Michigan coach John Beilein his best start to a season as a coach anywhere, at any level.

Maybe most importantly, a win would have proved that the relatively untested Wolverines could compete with the best teams in the country on the road, and it could have made the upcoming gauntlet that is the Big Ten seem a little more manageable.

But in its biggest game of the season, on its biggest stage, No. 2 Michigan was outmatched, outplayed and beat up for most of the contest in a 56-53 loss to No. 15 Ohio State on Sunday.

Sophomore point guard Trey Burke, a Columbus native who grew up wanting to play for the Buckeyes, started the game off with a confident 3-pointer. This was the Michigan fans had seen all season — bold, strong and at times, cocky. This was expected.

The Wolverines not scoring for the next seven minutes and 44 seconds of game time was not. By the time freshman forward Glenn Robinson III hit Michigan’s second bucket, a 3-pointer, Michigan trailed 16-6. The Wolverines couldn’t move the ball against Ohio State’s physical perimeter defenders and struggled to get the ball even close to the key.

“This team — and (Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s) teams have always been this way — but this one, the perimeter defense in particular is exceptional,” Beilein said of the Buckeyes. “Why? They’ve been doing the same shell drills for two, three, four years. They really work at this and they are really good at it.”

Michigan’s swagger slowly evaporated — shots that were usually taken from deep weren’t taken, passes into the lane were timid and drives to the basket led to turnovers more often than not.

It all came down to turnovers: the Buckeyes capitalized by forcing 13 of them against a team that averages 9.3 a game. Michigan had nine in the first half alone, and ten minutes into the game, the Wolverines had more turnovers, seven, than points scored, six.

In five games different this year, the Wolverines have committed less than seven turnovers. On Sunday, they had seven less than 11 minutes into the game.

“They came out and beat us up a bit,” junior forward Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “We have to know how to control the pressure and play better.”

Michigan looked lost offensively in the first half, unsure of what to do against the contact and pressure of the home team. It scored just 22 points in the first half — a season low — and even that was after a 14-5 run to close the half.

All in all, starting the second half down 12 was pretty reasonable considering how poorly the game had started for the Wolverines.

Slowly, Michigan started to chip away in the second half. Cutting down on the turnovers helped — it committed just four in the second half — but it also started to crash the boards with a little more ferocity and to take some of those shots it was passing up earlier.

“In the second half, I think we came out the way we should have came out in the first half,” Burke said. “It was too late. It was two or three possessions too late.”

Going into the game, the big matchup was between Burke and Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft, who is regarded as one of the best defenders in the country. Burke played fine, ending with a team-high fifteen points, but he also had four turnovers to go along with just four assists. He wasn’t able to drive as well as usual, and Craft was in his face all night.

“Craft is as good as there is, as good as I’ve ever seen,” Beilein said. “He’s tremendous.”

Added Craft: “Any time you get to play against a great guy like (Burke), you have some incentive to go out and see what you can do. Our defense did what it needed to do today, and that really helped.”

Still, Michigan found other ways to score. Burke’s backup, freshman Spike Albrecht, contributed seven first-half points, and Hardaway contributed 12.

But Hardaway needed 15 shots to score those 12 points. Burke needed 13 shots to score his 15 points. Freshman forward Nik Stauskas, who averages almost 14 points a game, didn’t score.

As a team, the Wolverines made less than 40 percent of their shots, in a season where they average more than the 50 percent from the floor.

“We had five freshman play almost double-digit minutes, and they did not have a freshman see the floor,” Beilein said. “It’s adversity. At this time of the year, we are seeing our first top-level teams on the road.”

It was close at the end. Michigan got to within one point with more than six minutes left in the game. Then, a fast break, one-handed alley-oop by Ohio State forward Sam Thomson lit the crowd on fire. Robinson, calmly, sank a three at the other end to tie the game.

But Buckeye forward Deshaun Thomas, who led all scorers with 20 points, responded with a dunk of his own at the other end to put Ohio State back in the lead, and that was the closest Michigan got.

Even to the bitter end, Michigan never stopped clawing. Burke had the ball with a chance to win the game, down two with 20 seconds left. He shot a deep three — again, with Craft in his face — as the shot clock was winding down and eight seconds left in the game. The shot went halfway in, but spun and rattled out. Ohio State made its free throws down the stretch to seal the game.

Burke and the Wolverines had a chance at the end, in a game that looked out of hand from the beginning, but couldn’t finish in their quest for the nation’s top spot.

Arizona started hot, and the Ducks started flat and out of nowhere the Ducks trailed 11-0.

“We weren’t quite ready to start that game,” head coach Dana Altman said.

But as soon as the Ducks got on the board, the sold-out student section made its presence felt and it didn’t take long — less than two minutes, actually — for the Ducks to level the score and take their first lead on a Damyean Dotson jumper.

Arizona wouldn’t give up the lead without a fight and led again by as many as five points midway through the first half, but Oregon ended the half on a 21-5 run, sending Matthew Knight Arena into a frenzy at halftime.

The Ducks were quick to credit the fans post-game.

“The fans were unbelievable tonight,” E.J. Singler said. “The student section, the Pit Crew, was on fire. It really made a difference in this game.”

Singler had no small role in the Ducks victory, either. The lone senior on the Ducks to have played his entire career in Eugene finished with a team-high 14 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists. Much of that production came in the first half, with Singler on triple-double pace going into the interval. Playing in what he called the biggest game of his Oregon career, Singler showed that he isn’t being bothered by the knee injury that plagued him at the start of the season.

The forward from Medford played with a lot of emotion too, perhaps never more apparent than after he made a layup with contact after a coast-to-coast drive and let out something of a primal scream, and it wasn’t lost on his teammates.

“Every time I see E flex,” Johnathan Loyd said, “I flex too. That gets me hyped.”

Maybe it was Singler’s emotions, maybe it was the Pit Crew’s excitement, but something in the Matthew Knight Arena air Thursday night got the Ducks’ entire team going. Eight different Ducks scored, four finished in double figures, and Oregon racked up 17 assists as a team. The Ducks bench outscored their counterparts 17-6, and every Duck who played more than one minute found the scoresheet.

“Our team tonight was really unselfish,” Singler said. “We really made a lot of different plays for a lot of different people.”

As good as the Ducks’ win was, it’s just their second game of conference play, and that means there’s a lot of season left.

“It’s not our high point,” Singler said. “We got a lot of season left, and we got some goals we want to accomplish.”

What are those goals?

“Win the Pac-12,” Singler said.

Sandusky, clothed in a red prison suit, entered the courthouse smiling Thursday afternoon — his wife Dottie and other supporters also attended.

Amendola said during his 45 minutes of testimony at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte that the defense was given more than 12,000 pages of material from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, beginning in January 2012 and ending in June 2012.

Amendola said even though there was material he was unable to review before the June trial, the circumstances would not have affected the way he defended the former Penn State defensive coordinator.

Senior Judge John Cleland did not rule on any of the motions for a new trial at Thursday’s hearing.

Sandusky’s defense team was also given flash drives that held thousands of photos and several disks with information that was seized from Sandusky’s computers, Amendola said.

Amendola said that he didn’t have enough time to review much of the material and said that he “glanced over” most of it. Amendola also said that he didn’t have enough time to analyze the material before the trial date.

Norris Gelman, another of Sandusky’s attorneys, said after the hearing that a “structural error” occurred when the court did not allow Sandusky’s defense team ample time to prepare for trial.

“When a vast amount of material comes in at the eleventh hour, your ability to prepare suffers, and we say it suffers greatly,” Gelman said during the hearing.

Amendola also said that because he was not able to read all of the material, he couldn’t adequately represent Sandusky. He filed a petition before the trial began to be released from representing the former coach, Amendola said.

He said that he filed the petition out of frustration because he didn’t have enough time to be thorough in reading the documents.

Amendola said during his testimony that even now — six months after the trial took place — he has not read all of the material given to the defense before the trial.

Gelman also argued during the hearing that the jury charge was insufficient in that Cleland didn’t make it known to the jury that there was an extended period of time between when each of the people Sandusky was convicted of abusing came forward with their abuse claims.

Gelman argued that the omitted statement could potentially have brought some reasonable doubt into the minds of the jurors.

Prosecutor Joe McGettigan, representing the Office of the Attorney General, said after the hearing that Sandusky’s defense team was given more than enough time to prepare for the defense adequately, and that the defense was “overcome by true victims’ testimony.”

Prosecutor Frank Fina also said after the hearing that a ruling by Cleland should come within 30 days.

“The people of Pennsylvania should be confident that [Sandusky’s] conviction will stand,” Fina said.

Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of sexually abusing boys he met through his charity, The Second Mile. He is currently serving a 30 to 60 year prison sentence.

On Thursday, Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania’s attorney general-elect, also announced she will appoint a deputy attorney general to conduct a probe into the Sandusky investigation conducted by the state.

Long told Lewan he couldn’t make that decision for him. And so Lewan leaned on the past. What did you do, Lewan asked. Long had stayed, and over the course of 30 to 45 minutes, he told Lewan all the reasons why.

And so after weeks of perceived hints, Lewan declared Wednesday in a surprising announcement that he will stay at Michigan for his fifth-year senior season, forgoing a shot at the 2013 NFL Draft. Heeding the custom set by linemen like Long, and even the mantra of late Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, Lewan chose Michigan tradition over NFL riches.

“Offensive lineman here, they stay,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke at a press conference. “And there’s been a tradition of that.”

He continued, referencing Long and former linemen Jon Jansen and Steve Hutchinson: “Jake and Jansen, and you could go back through it. Hutch and all those guys.”

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had listed Lewan as the No. 15 player overall on his most recent Big Board Wednesday. Lewan was considered by most to be the second-best offensive tackle on the board, behind Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel.

Scouts Inc. ranked Lewan No. 13 on in its top-32 players in the 2013 draft, and Lewan said the NFL Draft Advisory Board rated him as a high first-round pick. Were he taken as the 13th pick, he could’ve expected a similar contract to last year’s 13th pick, Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd.

Floyd signed with the Arizona Cardinals for just less than $10 million guaranteed over four years, with a team option for a fifth year. Players selected in the top 10 last year earned four year deals worth an average just less than $16.5 million (two players, selected Nos. 4 and 5 overall, did not report their contracts).

Lewan said he plans to take out an insurance policy, which could mitigate the financial sting if he suffers an injury before the 2014 NFL Draft. He has not yet signed the paperwork, and even an insurance policy would not offset any financial losses he might incur if his draft stock were to plummet.

Still, Lewan said, “it really was a no brainer at the end.”

Lewan’s decision came after a phone call to the Long and an eye toward the future. He has started in 28 consecutive games at left tackle for the Wolverines, and his departure would have further decimated an already underachieving offensive line.

With Lewan back, Michigan will return both starting tackles — right tackle Michael Schofield will be a fifth-year senior for 2013 season — but the Wolverines will graduate the entire interior of the line as well as their top blocking tight end, Mike Kwiatkowski.

Michigan will likely field a young line on the inside. Though much can change, 2013 redshirt freshman Kyle Kalis is the best bet to start at guard, and the center position should be redshirt sophomore Jack Miller’s to lose.

“Kyle Kalis and (freshmen linemen) Ben Braden and Erik Magnusen, I want to be a part of their lives for one more year and help them to develop into something where they can possibly be in my position in a couple years,” Lewan said.

The other guard position is more open, with redshirt freshman Blake Bars and redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant as likely options. Redshirt junior guard Joey Burzynski is the only upperclassman with a strong shot to win the job, and he is the only option who has seen game action — he played in seven games as a backup in 2012 and appeared in four more in 2011.

Lewan’s return means added continuity, and it is a blessing for quarterback Devin Gardner, who will rely on Lewan to protect his blind side. Throughout the process, though, Lewan kept his teammates in the dark. He waited until just 20 minutes before his announcement, at a team meeting, to break the news.

The room erupted in cheers.

Still, when asked if he was surprised by Lewan’s decision, Hoke responded with a simple “no.”

To that, Lewan turned toward his father, who attended the press conference, and whispered, “Oh my god, he’s lying,” with a laugh.

Most in Ann Arbor expected Lewan to declare for the draft.

“I think my Dad predicted me to leave too,” Lewan said.

At first, Lewan consulted with others and just wanted an answer. It is a big decision, he explained, for a 21-year old. Ultimately, he decided that the chance for one more year at Michigan, one more shot at a Big Ten Championship, was worth it.

“If you play at the University of Michigan, whether it’s basketball, hockey, football, there’s a tradition here and there’s something that you want to be a part of,” Lewan said. “And if I do what I need to do, I’ll be able to play in the NFL for however long, but you only get one more year of college.”

The stigma of steroid use that has plagued a once-valiant American pastime, has left the fans, the players, the writers and the aspiring players without a hero. 

Whether through actual admission, hearsay or public opinion, none of the members on the list of players, who performed at the highest echelon of their sport, will have their achievements on the field etched in baseball’s history book.

While Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are often seen as the face of the Steroids Era of baseball, it is disheartening just how easy it was for steroids to infect an entire institution that was once so admired. 

With names like Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, who inspired so many young people to dream of baseball stardom, it is sad that all of the qualified names are now replaced with an asterisk. 

There is no getting around the fact that steroid use is cheating. 

Every player that admitted or was caught using steroids knew what the drugs would do and they should have known the consequences. 

The problem is, to what extent do we question whether any player’s accomplishments in baseball were products of mere athleticism and dedication or products of steroid use? Now that steroids have become as much a part of the game as peanuts and cracker jacks, is it right to ostracize any one who reached greatness between 1990 and the present? 

One thing that we should remember is that steroids can only do so much. 

If a person off the street took steroids, they would not magically be able to hit 762 homeruns like Barry Bonds did. They would not be able to reach 3,060 hits like Craig Biggio nor would they come close to the 354 wins and seven Cy Young awards that Roger Clemens reached during his 23-year career. 

Of the top five names that were eligible to be inducted, every one of them made multiple All-Star appearances. There were 10 league MVP awards between them, seven Cy Young awards, 12 Gold Glove awards and more than 2,000 homeruns. The talent and the statistics that this group put up are unquestionable. 

The only caveat is that they played during a time when the threat of steroid use was a greater story than accomplishments on the field.

If we let the steroid era of baseball deter us from appreciating the accomplishments that the players reached because popular opinion dictates they cheated, then it will have ruined the game forever. We cannot allow the cynicism of assumptions and accusations to cloud the fact that this group of players performed at an astonishing level.

Have the Crimson Tide established itself as a true dynasty? How did this dominant Alabama squad lose to Johnny Football’s Texas A&M team in November? Who’s playing the Tide in next year’s national title game? Will Alabama ever lose again?

For me, there’s only one question to ask: What will it take for Nick Saban to be Texas’ next head football coach? Whatever it is, the Longhorns should be prepared to pay it.

Saban has made it clear he currently has no interest in going to the NFL. He’s been there, done that. Not his thing. Despite those two years as the Miami Dolphins head coach in 2005 and 2006, Saban has managed to win not just three national championships in the last four years, but four in the last eight.

Forbes recently labeled Texas as the most valuable college football program in the country. The Wall Street Journal estimated that the Longhorns’ football program is worth $761.7 million — about $1.7 million more than the Jacksonville Jaguars were sold for last November.

In other words, handing Saban a blank check to coach at Texas and paying Brown’s buyout, which currently stands at $2.75 million (down from $3.5 million eight days ago), should be no problem.

This isn’t to say Mack Brown shouldn’t lead the Longhorns or that he should be run out of town to make room for Saban right now. The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately standard would assert otherwise, but winning close to 10 games a year for the last 15 years is no small feat. Capturing two Big 12 titles and one national title makes for an impressive resume — one that the vast majority of coaches can’t match.

But Saban can. In 17 years as a head coach in college football, he has yet to have a losing season. He’s won nearly three-quarters of his games during that time and has 50 more victories (63) than defeats (13) at Alabama. After the $400,000 bonus he received for winning another national title Monday, Saban earned nearly $6 million this season, making him the highest-paid coach in the nation.

Mack Brown, a close second, recently had his contract with Texas through 2020, much like Saban did at Alabama. He says he’s in it for the long haul, but he’s either going to turn things around for the Longhorns and be satisfied with leaving the program better than he left it or continue to muddle through mediocrity, leaving frustrated fans to call for his head.

Saban is the best in the business. When Brown steps down, Texas should be willing to pay him like it.

Monday night, that team was once again the Alabama Crimson Tide as the Tide crushed Notre Dame, 42-14, to win back-to-back BCS National Championships, their third in the last four years.

The Tide seemed to take the fight out of the Irish early and never let up.

The ending was fitting for this particular Alabama team. This bunch was chosen as the second-best team in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division behind LSU at the beginning of the season. The loss of talent on the defensive side of the ball and the early departure of a Heisman finalist running-back left major holes and major questions.

Even head coach Nick Saban admitted this was his least talented team of the Tide’s recent national championship runs.

But once the lights were on, it was clear the Tide was in a class of its own.

“We came with the mindset of trying to be legendary,” freshman receiver Amari Cooper said.

Alabama is now in that rare air of winning three national championships in four years. Not since Nebraska’s run in the 1990s has this been accomplished. Some teams struggle to make the game, others win a championship and regress, but Alabama continues to churn out championships – turning Tuscaloosa into Title Town.

“For a program that has been criticized for clinging too tightly to the good old days, I’m sure those days were good, but Alabama people should recognize that these days for them are better,” ESPN studio host and Alabama graduate Rece Davis said.

That’s not a shot at the great Paul “Bear” Bryant and his legacy, it’s only the truth— In this day of college football, Alabama’s run is nothing short of spectacular. 2009 and 2011 were expected, but this wasn’t. No one thought Alabama was four touchdowns better than Notre Dame.

Alabama’s offense epitomized balance. The Tide’s attack racked up 529 yards of total offense, 265 rushing and 264 passing. Running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon took turns battering what was supposed to be a vaunted Notre Dame front seven. Quarterback AJ McCarron shredded the Irish secondary for four touchdowns. It could have been six if not for a few missed opportunities to Cooper.

Notre Dame’s defense forgot the No. 1 fundamental of tackle football: tackle. Heisman candidate Manti Te’o whiffed on a few attempts to bring down the Tide’s dominant duo of backs. With Te’o struggling, the rest of the Irish stood no chance.

“We’ve got to get physically stronger, continue to close the gap there and just overall you need to see what it looks like,” said Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly of the difference between the Irish and the Tide.

The Irish got a look at it all night. In a scene similar to the SEC Championship Game, Alabama lined up and ran right at the Irish defense, welcoming contact. Only this time, there was no back and forth action necessary.

Defensively, Alabama stifled Notre Dame all game. The Irish abandoned the running game early, finishing with 32 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Everett Golson never found his rhythm throwing the ball and was constantly under pressure. Everywhere Golson turned there was a Tide defender. Linebackers and defensive lineman made open field tackles on Golson and the Irish’s skill players, showing the speed difference between the SEC and the rest of college football.

But Notre Dame fans shouldn’t be discouraged. The SEC does this to everyone. The league beats up one another each week, making one another look vulnerable and exposing weaknesses. That’s fool’s gold.

Anyone who watches the SEC knows there could be at least one team in the title game every year, even with the play-off.

Alabama shows no signs of slowing down and are, in fact, getting stronger. With the return of key veterans such as AJ McCarron and C.J. Mosley, Alabama will be in the mix at the end of next season. The return of such players only gives Alabama time to look ahead and recruit or nurture the next crop of champions.

“We have such a great culture here from top to bottom,” offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said. “Everybody buys in from day one, and that is why we are successful.”

Notre Dame had fallen short, but the first-year starter focused after the game on the opportunity to grow, in the hopes of one day standing where McCarron was.

“I’m kind of just taking this game under my belt,” Golson said. “Like I said, I’ll just gain the experience from it, and really looking forward to next year, knowing that I’ve got to be more of a leader, and just being more of a leader to this team and trying to make this team better.”

In the biggest game of his life, Golson had a mixed performance statistically but was one of Notre Dame’s best performers on either side of the ball. The sophomore was 21-of-36 through the air for 270 yards and one touchdown with an interception. He added a rushing touchdown to put Notre Dame on the scoreboard in the third quarter.

But Notre Dame’s offense failed to convert consistently on third-down conversions as Golson could not establish the rhythm needed to put up points with Alabama.

“We just had to go out and affect [Golson],” Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson said. “We felt he was their true leader and if he was rolling, the team was rolling. We wanted to go out and affect him the best we could and stop them.”

Golson gave Notre Dame fans a bright spot with his second-half performance, bringing the Irish from a 28-0 hole at halftime and putting 14 points on the board in the second half. After a first half in which the young signal-caller made some questionable throws on short-distance conversions, Golson settled in with 182 passing yards after throwing for just 88 in the first half.

Much of that production owed to downfield connections with sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels and junior wide receiver T.J. Jones, who both produced big numbers in the loss.

“It took us a while to get a feel for their defense,” Jones said. “They played more press-man than we thought they would, which changed their look in the box. We tried to carve out a run game while having an effective pass game, but it took us a while to get used to it.

“I just had to find a way to keep the play open when Everett [Golson] got into space. I played more physical with the DBs rather than finessing them, which helped me out.”

After the game, Irish coach Brian Kelly was asked to reflect on the future of his offense with the trio of Golson, Daniels and Jones returning in the passing game. Kelly asked his young quarterback a question instead.

“Well, if Everett would come back for another year — are you coming back?” he said.

The quarterback who came up short against a counterpart with multiple national championships responded with a laugh that he would return.

“We worry about whether he wants to play basketball,” Kelly said jokingly. “These guys have played great competition across the board from the start of the season to the end, and obviously it’s only going to help them going forward.”

For Golson and his emerging offensive weapons, going forward will mean returning to the same stage again and achieving a far different result.

Afterward, the word was on everyone’s mouth.

No. 2 Alabama pounded, pushed and finessed its way to a 42-14 win over No. 1 Notre Dame to clinch its second straight BCS National Championship and third in four years.

“Yes, sir. No doubt about it,” senior defensive end Damion Square said when asked if the Crimson Tide could finally be called a dynasty. “I’m through here at this University and I was part of a dynasty.”

Eddie Lacy, who earned named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player, rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown and added another through the air as Alabama’s offensive line dominated the vaunted front seven of Notre Dame.

From the very first drive, Alabama controlled the line of scrimmage and dictated the game throughout.

“We knew we had to be physical up front and we did,” guard Chance Warmack said. “It paid off tonight.”

Defensively, Alabama held Notre Dame to just more than 300 yards of offense, a lot of which came after Alabama had pulled its starters from the game.

The Irish only managed 32 rushing yards and didn’t find the end zone until after the Crimson Tide had scored 35 straight to open the game.

“When we walked in this locker room,” Square said. “I looked in these guys’ eyes before the game and I knew we were going to dominate.”

The very first drive of the game, Alabama marched 82 yards and scored when Lacy, who was named offensive MVP, darted 20 yards for a touchdown.

After forcing a Notre Dame three-and-out, Alabama went right back down the field using a heavy dose of Lacy. But when it got to the goal like, quarterback AJ McCarron faked the handoff and found a wide open Michael Williams for the scored.

Lacy’s most impressive score came on an 11-yard screen pass just before halftime. The junior, who is expected to declare for the NFL Draft, used his signature spin move to escape two defenders and sprinted into the end zone for the score.

“He was on a mission tonight,” right tackle D.J. Fluker said of Lacy. “He wanted to go out there and score every play. I actually challenged him on the bus I said, ‘If you can get two or three touchdowns, we’ll win the game.’ He said, ‘All right, as long as you give me good blocking, we’re going to get it.’”

Freshman Amari Cooper capped his stellar freshman season with two touchdown grabs and almost had a third when McCarron just overthrew his outstretched hands on a fly route in the second quarter.

As Alabama’s defense stuffed an impotent Notre Dame offense, Alabama used its trademark grind-it-out offense to control possession and dominate the game on the biggest stage.

“Our offensive tempo was the key to the game,” head coach Nick Saban said. “We were able to establish and maintain the run with our backs and line doing a great job and then AJ and our receivers converted third downs and maintained drives.”

McCarron jogged off the field holding that crystal football, the second one he’s captured in two years, and found his mom in the stands, holding it up so she could see his latest accomplishment.

He wasn’t exactly quick to embrace the D word that was thrown at him from all directions after the clock at Sun Life Stadium hit zero. As for the R word, there was no denying what his team had accomplished.

“I get chills thinking about it,” he said.

First reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the talented offensive mind rebuffed potential NFL head coaching jobs at Cleveland and Philadelphia on Sunday night after a whirlwind of rumors, reports and ruminations following Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl win.

For Kelly, it marks the second straight year he has chosen his current position over one in the pros. Kelly reportedly broke the news to the Eagles sometime Sunday afternoon.

A University source confirmed the news to The Oregonian’s Adam Jude, among other media members.

Contributing to the flurry of information on social media, Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel tweeted that Kelly made an appearance late in the evening at a college coaches convention in Nashville.

Throughout the saga, especially following Oregon’s win in the Fiesta Bowl, Kelly said repeatedly he “would listen” to any NFL team interested in his talents. Yet he and other Oregon coaches never committed to either side of the fence. Following Thursday’s game, Kelly met first with the Browns, then the Bills. A lunch with the Eagles ran a reported nine hours, causing Kelly to miss a scheduled second meeting with the Browns.

Another factor in the decision may have been Nike co-founder and Oregon booster Phil Knight. The Oregon alum has been vocal about his support of Kelly and his desire for the coach to stay in Eugene.

“I want Chip,” Knight said, following the Fiesta Bowl win. “He listened to Tampa Bay for a long time, and he never did accept the job. We’ll see what happens.”

Oregon has gone 46-7 in Kelly’s four years as head coach. Only Boise State and Alabama have tallied more wins than Oregon during that same span. Duck fans at the Fiesta Bowl made it clear whose sidelines they hoped Kelly would prowl next year.

“We want Chip! We want Chip!” cascaded down during the trophy presentation. Kelly acknowledged the love in his press conference.

“I think it just, really for me, reaffirms what this place is all about,” Kelly said. “It’s a special place with special people. They accepted me six years ago when I was at New Hampshire. Not many people knew about me. Gave me an opportunity to come here. It really means a lot.”

The move also guarantees Kelly will be the head of the program during Oregon’s meetings this spring with the NCAA. Potential sanctions still hang above the program regarding the Ducks’ dealings with shady recruiter Willie Lyles.

“We’ve cooperated fully with the (NCAA),” Kelly said. “If they want to talk to us again, we’ll continue to cooperate fully. I feel confident in the situation.”

University officials are expected to comment on the situation Monday morning.

Manziel broke Cotton Bowl records for total offense and rushing yards by a quarterback while the A&M offense broke the SEC record for total offense in a season and the Cotton Bowl record for single-game offense. Manziel’s 229 rushing yards set an all-time FBS bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback.

Manziel said the concern over a perceived inability of Heisman winners to perform in bowl games is over-stated.

“There is too much talk about how you perform after the Heisman and about the layoff and all that,” Manziel said. “There wasn’t anything holding us back. No rust, there was no nothing.”

In equally impressive fashion, the A&M defense held Oklahoma without a single second-half point after showing initial sluggishness.

“The defense played great, and got us the ball back quick,” Manziel said. “It gave us the tempo and we rolled.”

Manziel’s game included 287 yards passing for two touchdowns and one interception to go with 17 carries for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior receiver Ryan Swope – in his final A&M game – eclipsed 100 yards receiving with 104 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Other seniors delivered in their career end-caps, including defensive back Dustin Harris, who picked off Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and notched a game-high 10 tackles.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the seniors and what they’ve done this year,” Manziel said. “To go out and win 11 games and do what we’ve done, is impressive.”

Swope said the team knew what was at stake and they played according to gameplan.

Three A&M runners averaged better than six yards per carry: Manziel (13.5), junior running back Ben Malena (7.0), and freshman running back Trey Williams (6.8). The trio combined for four rushing touchdowns and 326 yards. A&M out-gained Oklahoma by a margin of 633 yards to 401.

With the departure of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for the head coaching position at Texas Tech, running backs coach Clarence McKinney took the play-calling responsibilities for the game.

“Clarence has been in this offense for five years,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Continuity is important for what we do.”

A back-and-forth first half seemed to promise a close game as Oklahoma entered the locker room at halftime down one point at 14-13. The Aggie defense forced punts on each of the Sooners’ third-quarter possessions and A&M found the endzone three times. The backbreaker for the Sooners may have come on a fourth-and-five completion from Manziel to Swope, who shed a tackler and ran free for the touchdown to put A&M up 34-13.

For A&M, the season concluded with its first 11-win campaign since 1998, its first Heisman Trophy winner since 1957, four All-Americans, an Outland Award winner, the Davey O’Brien and AP Player of the Year awards, and a victory in the Cotton Bowl. The Aggies never trailed in their last six games.

“Every week these guys understood what the plan was and came out and executed at a high level,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “This game is really indicative of how we played all season.”

Contributors from all sides of the ball will depart via graduation or early entry in the NFL draft, but expectations will be high entering the 2013 season. The most notable returnee will be Manziel, but Williams, Malena, and redshirt freshman Mike Evans return from the skill positions and will be complemented by a highly touted recruiting class.

The 2012 Alabama defense has been overshadowed by the offense during this run to the BCS National Championship, due to the loss of talent from the 2011 championship and one of the most prolific offensive seasons in Crimson Tide history.

Gone are the household names – Dont’a Hightower, Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron to name a few.

“This group has probably been one of my most favorite to coach since I’ve been at Alabama because of the expectations,” said defensive coordinator Kirby Smart on Friday. “They didn’t have bad expectations, but a lot of the media, you guys, had bad expectations for this group. I never was worried about their competitive character.”

But this defense is a fine tuned symphony, orchestrated by Smart, with head coach Nick Saban as the overseer.

When instruments are removed due to leaving early for the NFL Draft, graduation or injury, a new part is inserted and expected to perform to the same standards set by its predecessors.

“This defense had a big chip on their shoulders because all everybody talked about was what they lost, but nobody mentioned who they had coming back,” said Chris Low, who cover the SEC for ESPN.com “They were pretty hell bent on proving that the standard defensively never changes. You might lose great players, but defensively the standard remains the same.”

The standard is consistently having one of the top defenses in the nation. The new crop of defensive standouts has Alabama ranked in the top six of every major defensive statistic – No. 1 in total defense allowing 246 yards per game, No. 1 in rushing defense allowing 79.77 yards per game at 2.46 yards per carry, No. 6 in passing defense allowing 162.23 yards per game, and No. 2 in scoring defense allowing 10.69 points per game.

But what goes into creating a culture of winning and being able to sustain a standard of excellence even when players move on?

“The most important thing is that Alabama has been so good at evaluating talent and bringing in guys who are willing to compete and wait their turn,” Low said.

The biggest example of guys “waiting their turn” is junior linebacker C.J. Mosley. Despite being an All-American and the team’s most productive player, Mosley isn’t technically a starter. He backs up senior Nico Johnson, another guy who “waited his turn” behind former Tide standouts such as Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.

Mosley leads the team with 99 tackles. He has seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, two pass breakups, one recovered fumble and a forced fumble. Mosley’s three career interception returns for touchdowns also tie an Alabama record.

Mosley is one of many Tide players who have sacrificed personal statistics and accolades. That comes from Saban, Smart and the other coaches who have emphasized process over results.

The two of them combine for a dynamic duo of creating schemes and recruiting talent. But not just any talent. It has to be talent that fits a certain criteria the team uses to ensure it is getting high character athletes.

Smart is one of the most sought after coordinators at the college level and NFL franchises have come knocking at Saban’s door in attempt to bring the three-time national championship coach back to the league. The two show no signs of leaving or slowing down anytime soon.

“It helps to have Saban and Smart, that combo,” Low said. “I just don’t see with those two guys being there, them ever being bad on defense.”

Saban, sitting on the field on which he coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons, emphatically denied he might return to the NFL with six head coaching vacancies still open.

“I don’t have any unfinished business in the NFL,” he said. “I want to be a college coach. I’m not looking for new challenges.

“I know myself. I know the best path for me … [My family is] happy with the path that we’re on, so there’s really nothing to talk about.”

A short while later, Kelly — who has spent his entire career in collegiate athletics — said he had no intention of coaching anywhere but Notre Dame.

“When I took the job at Notre Dame, I think I said it was a dream job. But I never went around day to day anything about being the Notre Dame head coach, because the job that I had in hand was what I was thinking about,” he said. “I think that’s the same thing with the NFL. I think from my perspective I’ve got the best job in the country, NFL, college, high school, whatever. I just look at the place that I’m at and thankful for the opportunity that I have.”

Kelly said he was not aware if any serious offers had been made.

“If that did occur, then all that stuff is secondary to this football game. My focus — this is the biggest game that I’ve ever been involved in, so my focus is 100 percent on this football game,” he said. “It’s flattering if there is interest, which I don’t know that there is, but again, that is such a secondary topic for me right now, it’s all about this game.”

Both coaches said history would have no bearing on how they motivate their respective squads.

“As we get into Monday night we’re going to play the game the way we’ve played it all year. We’re going to play fast, we’re going to play aggressive because we don’t carry all those perceived burdens,” Kelly said. “They’re 18 to 21 year olds, they have no idea what that history means. We do, our fan base certainly does, but what I’ve tried hard to do is let our kids go play the game and let their actions speak, and not let all of this outside perceived pressure for the entire Notre Dame nation to weigh heavily on them.”

Saban dismissed the idea that another national title — which would be his third in four years — would put him in the same league as legendary Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant.

“I don’t think it would be fair at all to Bear Bryant and the tradition that he created and the standard of excellence that he sustained for years and years and years,” he said. “There’s no one that I know that I would say should be even spoken of in the same sort of circumstance at all.”

Saban refused to use the word “dynasty” and said just two days after winning last year’s national title, he met with the 2012 squad and set a new challenge for them.

“The first thing I said to this team was, ‘you guys are not the national champions,’” he said. “’Some of you played on the national championship team, but the challenges that this team has are all in front of you … and what you did last year is not going to have any impact or effect on what you do next year.”

Kelly, however, said Saban had created a consistently successful program he hoped to emulate.

“We’re talking about historic success,” he said. “I’ve said this a number of times, your program is defined in consistency, and Alabama is that model. I concede to that. It’s where we want to be.”

With the countdown to kickoff ticking ever closer to zero, Kelly said he and his squad were anxious for kickoff.

“When you get a chance to go before the media at the venue, it finally hits you that it’s getting close. It’s been a long journey to get to this point for us. Certainly we’re excited to be here. But more importantly, we’re here to win a football game, “he said. “Our kids have enjoyed Miami. … But you can sense and you can feel that they’re ready to play, and I know as a football team we’ll be ready to play Monday night.”

It was the program’s fifth-straight bowl win, which is the nation’s longest bowl winning streak, and 22nd overall, which is the 11th-most in the nation all-time.

Ole Miss jumped out early after sophomore cornerback Senquez Golson intercepted Pittsburgh’s Tino Sunseri on the first drive of the game

That interception set the Ole Miss offense up at the Pittsburgh 23-yard line, and sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace hit junior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan from 14 yards out to put the Rebels up 7-0 early.

On his eighth-straight completion to start the game, Wallace connected with senior Randall Mackey for a 27-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Wallace threw two bad interceptions, the second of which set up a touchdown for the Panthers to draw within a touchdown.

Ole Miss answered back wtih a 5-play, 48-yard drive, which took only 1:03, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to sophomore wide receiver Vince Sanders to push the lead to 21-7.

Both the Rebels and Panthers added field goal late in the second quarter to bring the halftime score to 24-10, which tied the BBVA Compass Bowl for points in a half.

The third quarter failed to produce much action until late. Both teams failed to create many attempts except a 44-yard missed field goal by senior kicker Bryson Rose on the first drive of the half.

However, the Rebels got things on track with four minutes left in the quarter. Ole Miss put together a 10-play, 48-yard drive, which included a fouth-down conversion and capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Barry Brunetti to take a three-touchdown lead into the final quarter.

With nine minutes left in the game, freshman running back I’Tavius Mathers sealed the victory for Ole Miss with a 62-yard touchdown run, a BBVA Compass Bowl record for his first career score.

The Panthers scored a late touchdown, but it was too little too late, at the two minute mark and the Rebels wrapped up a 38-17 win.

Wallace was named the BBVA Compass Bowl MVP. He finished the game 22-of-32 passing for 151 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Mathers led the way on the ground with 96 yards on six carries, followed by fellow freshman Jaylen Walton with 56 yards on 10 carries. Logan and sophomore wide receiver Donte Moncrief were Wallace’s favorite targets finding them both six times for 36 and 31 yards, respectively.

Defensively, junior linebacker Mike Marry made plays all over the field, finishing the game with seven total tackles, including four for loss, and a sack.

No more hype. Just football. By now, Notre Dame fans know intimately those players and coaches who will run out of the tunnel onto the pristine turf of Sun Life Stadium on Monday night.

But they know one player intimately enough to understand that Manti Te’o carries a special weight on his shoulders. The senior linebacker and captain, who has earned a relationship on a first-name basis with Notre Dame nation is playing to cap a personal journey unlike any other.

And if he wins, he will be mentioned with few equals in the annals of Notre Dame history.

“Manti Te’o, what he’s done for us off the field is probably as important as what he’s done on the field,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said in a press conference Sunday. “He’s gotten incredible accolades and awards for what he’s done on the field, but his leadership was in a large degree why we’re here, as well.”

2012 has been a year of tests for Te’o, and they arrived in waves that came almost weekly. But this is his biggest test. He and his teammates will be physically tested and punished by a bruising and relentless Alabama offensive front, and in order to walk off the field victorious Te’o has to win his own battles and lift those around him.

He’s been doing it all season, so what better way for the player who has already built a legendary resume to end his college career?

“Yeah, I think when you go against a team like Alabama, we understand

that they’re the king of the hill.  They’ve been there, they’ve done that, they obviously have been so dominant the past couple years and this season, as well,” Te’o said. “So we understand who we’re going up against.  Like I said, what better way to finish this year but to play in the biggest game in college football and to be going against the best team in college football, and that’s Alabama.”

As Te’o compiled his impressive resume and heaped on accomplishment after accomplishment, many spoke in hushed tones of the implications of the linebacker’s play in historical context: What if he led Notre Dame to an undefeated season? To the national championship? Would that make him one of the all-time greats?

There’s no need for hushed tones anymore — any unanswered questions will be answered between the white lines against Alabama on Monday night. It’s cut and dry — Notre Dame’s senior leader stands to become the latest in a handful of University legends that need no introduction or pretense. The Four Horsemen, Rockne, The Gipper, Hornung and Montana — Manti would belong on that list.

Win or lose, the Notre Dame faithful will be witnessing the final game of a student-athlete who will decades from now be cited as one of, if not the main reason for the on-the-field turnaround in the Notre Dame football program. His final chapter seems ripped straight from a storybook, as he attempts to finally become a champion by defeating the ultimate power in the sport. Regardless of Monday night’s outcome, Te’o’s impact will live on for Irish faithful once the lights dim at Sun Life Stadium.

“At Notre Dame I hope my legacy is just a guy who gave Notre Dame his all, a guy who really committed himself to the school, and I really feel fortunate to play under the Golden Dome and receive an education there,” Te’o said. “Just one who really gave everything he had.”

That legacy already cemented, he will head out of the tunnel tomorrow night to try and bring home a final, unthinkable victory.

One reporter asked Parrom about, after a winning a game where Arizona trailed by as many as 17 points and by 10 or more for most of it, if he felt something special brewing with this No. 3 Wildcats (13-0, 1-0) squad, which is officially to its best start in 80 years.

Parrom took a deep breath.

“Oh man,” he said. “I’m still trying to catch my breath from the game. I’m in shock.”

And understandably so.

With 4:13 left in the game after a layup from Colorado’s Sabatino Chen, the Wildcats trailed by 10 points at 68-58, and by 10 or more for 20:18 of the 40 minute regulation.

In the next 3:55, Lyons scored 10 points and Arizona outscored the Buffs 20-12, bringing the game back to within two points. Lyons finished with a game-high 24 points.

After a Lyons lay-up, Arizona fouled Colorado’s little-used guard Jeremy Adams.

The crowd was on their feet, and was as raucous as anything Johnson, a sophomore, had ever seen at McKale.

“I’ve never heard it like that,” Johnson said.

Adams missed both free throws, and Colorado fouled Lyons. Putting him at the line with a chance to tie the game and 9.2 seconds on the clock. Which he did, nailing two free throws to knot the game up at 80. It was the first time Arizona was locked up with the Buffs since the score was 6-6 early in the first half.

So, Colorado had another 9.2 seconds to put the now tightly-contested game away. Spencer Dinwiddie brought the ball up the court, and passed it to Chen, who had nowhere to go with the ball and forced up a contested 3-point jumper.

“We denied everybody, so I knew he had to shoot that,” Lyons said.

In theory, Chen might have been the one player Arizona wanted to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line. The senior guard entered the game scoring 4.1 points per game and had made just two of his last 22 3-point attempts dating back to last season.

Well, he banked this one in as time expired, along with two others in scoring a career-high 15 points.

“He looked like Reggie Miller tonight,” Miller said.

Colorado rejoiced. Game over…or not.

After a few minutes of review, the officials controversially ruled that Chen didn’t get the shot off in time, bringing the game to overtime.

“It could have gone either way,” Miller said.

As the officials were reviewing the play, Miller huddled the Wildcats up despite the initial ruling that the shot was good.

“I was sending officials a subliminal message,” Miller said with a smirk. “That I knew the shot was no good. It was all an act.”

There was not a doubt in Lyons’ mind that Arizona would pull the game out from there.

“Everybody in the gym knew that,” said Lyons, who scored five points in the extra period. “If you’re the home team and you rally back and push it to overtime, it’s usually gonna be in your favor.”

Added Parrom: “…once we went into overtime I knew it was our game. When the [regulation] was over, I looked at Mark and he looked at me. We said this was our game.”

Arizona outscored Colorado 12-3 in overtime and improved its record to 24-11 in Pac-12 openers.

Parrom contributed five points in overtime and paced the Wildcats bench with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Despite the unthinkable comeback, Arizona’s struggles for the first 36 minutes of the game didn’t go un-noticed by Miller.

In the first half, Arizona shot 7-of-27 from the field and 3-of-11 from long range, and it’s early-season struggles defending the three were prevalent, as Colorado made 6-of-9 in the first half and 10-of-21 in the game.

Askia Booker led the Buffs with 18 points on 5-of-17 shooting, and Josh Scott added 15 points. Arizona held Andre Roberson to nine points on 3-of-7 shooting.

“We didn’t execute,” Miller said. “For me to say it was all us is not giving Colorado respect, they are a very good defensive team.”

“We would have gotten what we would’ve deserved if we would have lost,” he added.

For the game, Arizona shot 28-of-65, 8-of-23 from beyond the arc, and had six players score in double figures, including 15 from Solomon Hill, 12 from Johnson and 10 from both Tarczewski and Grant Jerrett.

Arizona will continue its Pac-12 slate against Utah on Saturday at 3 p.m. in McKale Center.

Chants of “Teddy” filled the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Confetti fell from the ceiling as Bridgewater reveled in the victory.

He arrived in New Orleans as a beloved figure in Louisville, but will leave The Big Easy as a Sugar Bowl most valuable player and an emerging superstar.

The sophomore quarterback from Miami, Fla., carried No. 22 Louisville (11-2, 5-2) to their first-ever BCS bowl victory and validated his coach’s decision to stay at the burgeoning program instead of taking over a higher-profile team.

Bridgewater dominated the nation’s fifth-ranked defense with 226 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Florida’s defenders, with supposed “Southeastern Conference” speed, looked a step too slow against Bridgewater and his receivers who hail from the maligned Big East.

A nearly flawless performance put the sophomore in the national spotlight.

“I wouldn’t be in this situation right now and this predicament without my teammates,” Bridgewater said. “The Heisman campaign may start, but I’m just enjoying this moment.”

No. 4 Florida (11-2, 7-2) already faced one Heisman winner in Johnny Manziel, but allowed the most passing yards Wednesday since giving up 236 yards to Missouri quarterback James Franklin on Nov. 3.

Although Bridgewater threw a harmless third-quarter interception, he took advantage of a soft secondary that couldn’t solve the quick passing attack.

“Of all the quarterbacks we played, he was the best one,” Gators defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd said. “He had the best accuracy. Manziel don’t compare to him.”

Louisville entered the game as a double-digit underdog. They lost to Connecticut and Syracuse earlier in the season and Bridgewater wasn’t 100 percent in New Orleans after dealing with a number of injuries throughout the year.

Yet, the quarterback who wears gloves on both hands and stores Bazooka bubble gum in his socks during games surprised the Gators with his complete performance.

“I didn’t think he was that good until he showed us different,” defensive tackle Dominique Easley said.

Bridgewater converted 9-for-14 third down opportunities, which include three of four from longer than 10 yards out. He went 7-for-11 passing on third down.

Florida, the nation’s 12^th-ranked third-down defense at 31 percent, couldn’t get Bridgewater off the field.

Strong almost didn’t get the opportunity to coach this game-changing quarterback who already has 23 starts and a BCS bowl victory in his two-year career.

Bridgewater, a standout at football superpower Northwestern High School, was committed to the hometown Miami Hurricanes until he switched to Louisville following the firing of former Miami coach Randy Shannon.

He exhibited toughness and restraint against Florida, especially when linebacker Jon Bostic drilled him and knocked off his helmet in the first quarter.

“I give it all to Teddy Bridgewater,” Easley said. “He is a great quarterback. He knows how to execute and take control of his team. He broke us apart. That is what happened.”

The irony in Louisville’s victory isn’t the ineptitude of the Florida passing attack, but the poor outing from the Florida defense.

Redshirt senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter found a silver lining in a game with not much to cheer about for Florida.

“Defense didn’t execute the way we wanted it to, but this team will learn from it going forward next year and will be that much better because of it,” he said.

The Cardinals were excited to play in the Sugar Bowl. After winning this year’s Big East Conference crown, a trip to the French Quarter was icing on a damn delicious cake.

A reward.

Louisville earned a chance to spar with a superpower from the almighty Southeastern Conference. An opportunity to shut up the annoying “S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!” chants.

For a program climbing to the top, the Cardinals seized the moment.

“I believe we made our statement for the upcoming season,” Louisville wide receiver Eli Rogers said after his squad’s dominant upset victory. “Versus a team like Florida, this means everything for our program going forward.”

The Gators didn’t want to be here.

After a magical 11-1 season, Florida watched two other one-loss SEC teams battle for the league title. Alabama and Georgia fought over a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. The Gators boasted the best resume in college football, but that wasn’t enough to earn them a shot at the national title. They were shut out.

The Sugar Bowl was a consolation prize. Nothing more.

What was in store for Florida had it proved victorious in New Orleans? They don’t make rings for 12-win seasons.

At least not the ones people remember.

When was the last time someone asked Jim Kelly to see his four AFC title rings?

Some Gators dreamed of the NFL. Others blew off curfew and partied through the night on Bourbon Street. The Sugar Bowl was nice, but Florida dreamed of Miami.

Notre Dame. The crystal football.

They didn’t care about a silly exhibition game. There was nothing more to accomplish. Their season was already over.

Why bother?

That was the Gator Nation’s attitude, too. Times are tough. The economy is bad. Why blow a lot of money to watch a football game that doesn’t even matter?

Watching the action in high definition from your couch was the preferred option, optimizing two sacred American values: cheapness and comfort.

The 54,178 fans that attended the Sugar Bowl marked the lowest turnout for this game since 1939.

Those who made the trip came to party. The Sugar Bowl was merely an excuse to ring in the New Year in style.

And they serve alcohol at bowl games, so “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Go Gators!

Florida didn’t care about this game. Neither did its fans. Not really.

And who can blame them?

Schools like Louisville dream of the BCS. But until the Sugar Bowl becomes part of a playoff bracket in college football, don’t expect the big boys to play their hearts out.

It’s wrong. It’s lazy. You would expect a sense of pride to be at stake, but maybe that is too ideal. Maybe it is too much to ask when a system as flawed as the BCS is in place.

The Cardinals wanted to be here, and they acted like it. Good for them. They are a promising team headed in the right direction — quickly.

As for the Gators, they fell short of the ultimate prize. And no bowl victory was going to satisfy that that hunger. So why bother?

The two universities are the most famous in college football lore, but which program is perched atop the sport’s pecking order?

If you simply look at how many national championships the two schools claim, you’d say Alabama. But that’s by no means an accurate measure.

First off, the Tide claim 14 and the Irish 11. Alabama, however, has taken heat from fans and college football historians for its methods of claiming championships. Essentially, any time any poll thinks Alabama is the nation’s top team, the Crimson Tide claim it. A couple examples:

Wallace Wade’s 1925 Alabama squad finished 9-0-0, but the two polls the Tide use to justify their claimed championship didn’t exist until years later, giving them a retroactive championship.

In 1973, Notre Dame finished 11-0 after a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama. But the Tide, who finished fourth in the Associated Press poll, claim a championship from 1973 because the UPI poll rated them No. 1 heading into the bowl games and did not release a post-bowl ranking. That’s enough for Alabama.

Advantage: It’s a wash. They’re the two best programs, and it’s hard to make a distinction for one over the other.

When you look at individual achievements, amazingly, Alabama has only won one Heisman trophy in program history (Mark Ingram in 2009). Notre Dame has won seven, though none since Tim Brown in 1987.

Advantage: Notre Dame

As far as iconic coaching legends go, the names “Rockne” and “Bear” say it all. Knute Rockne is responsible for the growth of college football and revolutionized the game on and off the field. Paul “Bear” Bryant won six national championships and 13 conference titles in 25 seasons at Alabama, a stretch that won’t be matched anytime soon, though Nick Saban could make a run at it if he stayed with the Tide long-term.

It’s when you continue down the list of Alabama and Notre Dame coaches that you see the depth the Irish boast: Leahy. Parseghian. Devine. Holtz. (Kelly?) For Alabama, Nick Saban, Gene Stallings and Wade all won championships in Tuscaloosa but, outside of Saban, the names aren’t as iconic as Notre Dame’s.

Advantage: Notre Dame

In national name recognition, it’s game over. Notre Dame has earned a national following matched by no other program.

No one is more qualified to talk about that than Ara Parseghian, who coached at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern before taking the Notre Dame job.

“The magnitude of its recognition nationally [separates the program],” he said. “I had been in the Big Ten for years and when you got outside of a radius of 500 miles, the interest and knowledge of Northwestern diminished. I came to Notre Dame and it was coast-to-coast, North, South, East and West. It was remarkable.”

Notre Dame sits aside the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers on the mantle of iconic teams. When the Irish play, people watch.

November’s classic between then-No. 1 Alabama and then-No. 5 LSU — a national championship rematch — drew an impressive 7.0 overnight rating. Three weeks later it was blown out of the water when No. 1 Notre Dame beat unranked USC to clinch its berth in the BCS National Championship Game with a 10.3 overnight rating. More viewers watched that game than last year’s Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

No other program can claim the national footprint, sustained success and iconic coaches and players the Irish can.

Alabama is a college football behemoth, but Notre Dame is college football.

The fateful throw came as the Badgers (8-6, 4-4 Big Ten) drove down the field behind bruising runs as the clock trickled closer to the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter. All that momentum evaporated when Stanford (12-2, 8-1 Pac-12) defensive end Josh Mauro tipped a pass from Phillips intended for tight end Jacob Pedersen that instead landed in the hands of nickelback Usua Amanam.

“You’re at midfield or close to midfield with a chance to win the Rose Bowl,” interim head coach Barry Alvarez said. “I just felt like maybe we were a team of destiny.

“So I just felt like somehow we were going to find a way to score.”

The fifth-year senior signal caller said Stanford defenders shut off his first two targets on the play, making Pedersen — who had the option to curl inside or head toward the sideline — his man. But according to Phillips a miscommunication and a poor throw on his part ended the potential game-winning drive a yard into Stanford territory.

“It’s extremely frustrating, there’s no doubt in my mind we were going to win that game,” Phillips said postgame as he fought back tears. “So it’s tough, but it’s been a hell of a ride the whole time, I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Phillips’ final drive marked one of the only signs of offensive success for the Badgers in the second half, as their 14 points all came in the opening 30 minutes.

With the Cardinal defense keeping a muzzle on any offensive production from the Badgers early, speedy tailback Melvin Gordon took a jet sweep 15 yards around the right edge to establish the foundation for the remainder of the drive. A tipped ball somehow found its way into the arms of Jared Abbrederis, and Ball finally found a path to the end zone to cut Stanford’s lead to 14-7.

After Stanford’s Jordan Williamson slid a 47-yard field goal through the uprights, Wisconsin looked set to take a 14-point deficit into halftime.

But Phillips sprinted 38 yards down the left to give his team renewed hope of a score before the break. With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, the fifth-year senior found a diving Jordan Fredrick in the front of the end zone to lower the deficit to three points.

Yet Phillips impressive drive proved for naught, the game marred by the electrifying comebacks that ended in heartbreaking defeat that defined Wisconsin’s 2012 campaign.

“It’s heartbreaking. You’d like to send out guys like Montee the right way, and we couldn’t get it done today,” linebacker Chris Borland said. “Like Coach (Alvarez) said earlier, it’s kind of been a microcosm of our whole season. We’ve faced some adversity, fought back and came up short.”

The surprising offensive fireworks of the first half transformed into a grind-it-out defensive battle where neither team scored in the third quarter.

The lone score of the second half for either team came on a chip shot field goal that capped a clock-draining 12-play, 66-yard drive that chugged along behind running back Stepfan Taylor’s 25 yards.

But the offense sputtered for much of the game with Phillips throwing for only 83 yards and the combined 155 yards of Montee Ball, James White and Melvin Gordon not enough to make up for it.

“We weren’t able to do the things we wanted to, their coaches made some great adjustments at halftime, their players continued to play the entire time,” redshirt junior center Travis Frederick said. “We weren’t able to wear them down the entire time the way that we wanted to — they were ready to play a four-quarter game.”

A steady rushing attack from the Badgers (151 yards) and an efficient two quarters from Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan (6-of-9, 90 yards) had the first half score sitting closer to what many expected for a full four quarters of play rather than a half.

Wisconsin’s offensive line kept Stanford’s vaunted defensive line and linebackers under control, as they never sacked Phillips and left enough space for him to run for 64 yards.

“They’re very difficult to block. I thought we had some success, Melvin had a great day on the edge,” Alvarez said. “We made some plays, but they were jamming the middle up pretty good.”

The Pac-12 champs wasted no time grabbing the early advantage, as running back Kelsey Young scampered around the left edge and into the end zone on a 16-yard run.

The Cardinal’s redshirt freshman signal caller then aired it out to tight end Zach Ertz for 43 yards before running back Stepfan Taylor rammed it past the goal line to hand Stanford the 14-0 lead early.

Twice the Badgers appeared to answer their first score, but the Stanford defense refused to make it that easy. Ball made it into the touchdown nearly untouched but a holding call on left tackle Ricky Wagner negated that score. Phillips then hit Pedersen — who appeared to crawl into the end zone — but a review overturned that call before the Cardinal denied White on fourth and goal.

The players realized the loss came as a result of more than a single errant throw. After chasing Stanford for four quarters, Wisconsin’s effort was too little, too late.

“It stings. It stings just as much because we fell short, extremely short when we had the opportunity to win,” Ball said. “They did a great job of stopping a really good offense. But speaking for our offense, we had many opportunities to capitalize on big plays and we fell short.”

Of Note: Wisconsin seniors closed their career with a 40-14 record, tying the Class of 2007 for the most wins in program history … After emerging victorious in his first three trips to Pasadena, Alvarez fell to 3-1 in the Rose Bowl … Ball became the first player in college football history to score a touchdown in three different Rose Bowls … Phillips’ interception was UW’s 12th turnover in 14 games this year … Fredrick’s touchdown second quarter catch was the first of his career.

Corbett scheduled a news conference for Wednesday on the Penn State University Park Campus in State College to make the official announcement. The full nature of the lawsuit has not yet been revealed, and it is unclear if it will look to overturn or reduce the penalties against Penn State.

On July 23, 2012 — following Sandusky’s conviction on 45 counts of child sex abuse and the release of former FBI Director Louis Freeh’s findings on the university’s handling of reports that the former coach sexually abused children — the NCAA imposed “unprecedented” sanctions on Penn State. These sanctions included a $60 million fine, 112 wins vacated from the record books, a loss of 40 scholarships and four years of postseason ineligibility.

Penn State paid the first $12 million installment of the fine in December, using an internal loan from the university’s reserves.

The suit is not being filed due to Penn State’s actions or requests. The university is not involved with the lawsuit or the announcement, Penn State Spokesman David La Torre wrote in an email.

Anthony Lubrano, member of the Penn State Board of Trustees said that the trustees themselves have not been given any information concerning in the possible impending legal action. However, if the lawsuit comes to fruition, Lubrano said he will be pleased with Corbett’s plan.

“If what we’re hearing is true, I’m glad the governor firmly agrees with my point of view, that the NCAA overstepped its authority when it imposed [the sanctions],” Lubrano said. “I’m [actually] curious as to why it took him so long to come around.”

The sanctions upon Penn State have not been taken lightly by any of those involved. Pennsylvania legislators are displeased about the distribution of the funds.

That all changed Tuesday, when the Wildcats used a stifling pass rush and a resilient quarterback duo to defeat Mississippi State and win the 2013 Gator Bowl.

“It’s great to be a champion,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “Chicago’s Big Ten Team’s going to come back as Chicago’s Big Ten Champions.”

After having been in four losing locker rooms after the past four bowl appearances, senior offensive lineman Brian Mulroe said he wanted to see a change this year. Today’s post-game celebration lived up to his wildest dreams, as the Cats destroyed the monkey doll Fitzgerald had introduced last year to symbolize the monkey on the team’s back the bowl drought represented.

“It was great,” Mulroe said. “Everyone was hugging each other ripping up the monkey and it was awesome. It was just what I expected and I’m glad we were a part of it this time.”

The game itself could not have started better for the Cats. NU forced three interceptions and two 3-and-outs in Mississippi State’s first five possessions, jumping out to a 13-0 lead. The first interception came from senior Quentin Williams. He was trying to avoid the offensive tackle’s block when he picked off Bulldogs’ quarterback Tyler Russell on the third play from scrimmage and took it 29 yards for a touchdown.

NU lived off the big defensive plays all game, turning four Russell interceptions into 17 points. The Cats sacked Russell three times and had six tackles-for-loss as a team, which frustrated the Bulldogs’ offense. Mississippi State had less than 300 yards of offense, including just 106 yards through the air.

“I don’t know who didn’t make a play on defense today,” senior linebacker David Nwabuisi said. “It was incredible. Plays were coming from everywhere. As a defense we compete to see who can make the most plays and truthfully we have no idea.”

The defense played well on a day that offense ran into some uncharacteristic issues. Junior quarterback Kain Colter and sophomore Trevor Siemian combined for three interceptions, one fewer than they had all season. The Cats run game, which came in averaging nearly 231 yards per game and an average of five yards per carry, was held to just 161 yards and four yards per carry. Junior tailback Venric Mark, NU’s first 1,000-yard back since 2006, only picked up 56 yards on 13 carries, but he did score the game’s final touchdown on a three-yard plunge in the middle of the fourth quarter.

It was the passing game, which had struggled for most of the season, that lifted the Cats to victory. The biggest drive of the game came early in the third quarter, after Mississippi State tied the game at 13 and NU got the ball back. Colter and Siemian both threw incompletions, and it was third-and-10 from NU’s 24-yard line. On the third-down play, Siemian evaded the pressure from the defensive line and floated a pass off his back foot to junior receiver Rashad Lawrence for 13 yards and the first down. Siemian hit senior Demetrius Fields for 27 yards on the next play and immediately found freshman superback Dan Vitale on the subsequent snap for 34 yards to get the ball to the Mississippi State 3-yard line. Senior running back Tyris Jones punched it in from there, and in just four plays the Cats went 76 yards to reclaim a lead they would never surrender.

“It was big,” Siemian said of the drive. “The guys on the outside stepped up and made some plays. Those guys have been capable all year and they’ve done a really great job at capitalizing on their opportunities when they’ve gotten them.”

Siemian once again played the role of savior for NU. After leading comebacks earlier this season, Siemian also saw extended playing time in the Gator Bowl. He threw 20 passes and even showed some speed with two runs for 14 yards. His most shocking play surprised everyone in the stadium, himself included. Siemian ran the read option with junior Mike Trumpy and for the first time in his career held onto the ball and waltzed into the end zone from four yards out to give the Cats a 14-point lead.

“We really felt like both (Siemian and Colter) were playing at a high level at the end of the season,” Fitzgerald said. “We were kind of tipping our hand a little bit towards the end of the year, if Trevor went in we felt like we were seeing some things than when Kain was in. We wanted to get both guys on the field and doing some things (we hadn’t done before).”

Obscured by all the bowl celebration is Fitzgerald’s 50th victory, which makes him the winningest coach in program history. He called the title “very humbling,” deflecting credit to his players and coaches for helping him achieve this honor. He singled out defensive backs coach Jerry Brown for his 119th win as an NU assistant coach, calling Brown the true winningest coach in NU history. Despite his humility, players were quick to point the attention back to Fitzgerald.

“He deserves it,” Mulroe said. “He’s the greatest coach I’ve ever played for. For years to come he’s going to go down as one of the best ever. Just the way he prepares everyone and how he cares more about the person than the player … that’s why we love him to death.”

Mississippi State’s final offensive drive was an exclamation point on a dominating defensive performance. The defense bookended the drive with sacks while stuffing a running play and forcing an incompletion between. The bench was going crazy and the fans felt the win was imminent.

After Williams sacked Russell on the fourth down and NU took over on offense, the unit jogged out there to line up in victory formation. Mulroe knew the Cats had the game in the bag, but it did not sink in until the clock hit triple zeros.

“It was surreal,” Mulroe said. “You want to make sure there is zero seconds up there. Two minutes is coming down and we were like, ‘I think we got this.’ Once we saw zero seconds up there it was a relief.”

Down 27-28, No. 11 South Carolina started its last drive of the game with three and a half minutes left on the clock. The quarterback combo of Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson led a meticulous drive down to the Michigan 32-yard line, putting the Gamecocks in field goal range.

But instead of settling for three, Thompson caught the Wolverine secondary napping and hit Bruce Ellington in front of the goal line. The receiver sidestepped a defender and crossed the plane with 11 ticks left.

After the kickoff, Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner’s hail mary attempt as the clock expired was tipped on the release, and that was the ball game — South Carolina trumped Michigan on New Year’s Day, 33-28.

“Very proud of our seniors and very proud of our kids that participated and came down here and how the guys have worked all year,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “We’ve got a long way to go as a football program and as a football team, but our seniors continued to lay some groundwork and a foundation.”

Though the Michigan defense came into the Outback Bowl ranked second in the country in pass defense, it had trouble stopping South Carolina’s big passing plays all game long.

On the third play from scrimmage, Shaw, who is known more for his legs than his arm, aired one out 56 yards down the middle of the field to Damiere Byrd, who beat out cornerback Raymon Taylor.

In the second quarter, Thompson hit Nick Jones in stride on a seam route that went for 70 yards up the middle of the field. That play set up a four-yard touchdown pass to Ace Sanders, who finished the day with a football hat trick.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Monday that he deploys a run-first defense, but it was immediately clear on Tuesday that he wasn’t afraid to have his quarterbacks take shots over the top.

“There were too many big plays,” Kovacs said. “We knew coming in that if we kept the ball inside and in front as a defense that we’d be alright. But we gave up too many big plays, and that caught up with us at the end. It was just a lack of execution.”

Michigan’s special teams play was another major factor in the loss. The coverage unit did a poor job containing Sanders, who returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown, untouched — it was the third punt return for touchdown in his career.

But after that, special teams came up big for the Wolverines.

In the fourth quarter, redshirt junior defensive tackle Quinton Washington jumped up at the line and blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt, temporarily preserving a 22-21 lead.

Hoke also faked a field goal and a punt, and he was successful on both. On the fake field goal, junior wide receiver and holder Drew Dileo surveyed the field for a pass but then tucked the ball and rushed for the first down, which eventually set up a Brendan Gibbons field goal.

The fake punt was snapped directly to senior safety Floyd Simmons, who rushed forward for the first down.

“We had worked on that fake punt for nine weeks,” Hoke said. “The last game, you’d better run it, so we had to run it. The banquet’s over with, so we can’t save it for the banquet. It was something that we had seen and liked against multiple teams.”

But the conversion on the second fake didn’t yield points, as senior running back Vincent Smith fumbled the ball away on the very next play upon taking a vicious hit from star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who came into the backfield completely unhindered.

Smith’s helmet came flying off, much to the delight of the South Carolina fans in attendance.

For the most part though, the Wolverine defensive line contained Clowney as well as any team has this season. Michigan redshirt junior left tackle Taylor Lewan was matched up with Clowney for most of the game, and he limited the All-American to just four tackles.

“Everyone told me he’s unblockable one-on-one … but today I did my job, did my job for Michigan,” Lewan said. “I went up to him after the game, I said, ‘You’re one of the best defensive ends I’ve ever played against.’ And he looked right back at my eyes and said, ‘You’re the best tackle I’ve ever played against.’ That’s a great compliment to have.”

Lewan is projected by most experts to be picked in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, should he opt out of his final year of eligibility at Michigan. After the game, he said he wants to address the team regarding his decision before he releases the information publicly.

Tuesday also marked the last time fans will get to see their already legendary quarterback, Denard Robinson, don the maize and blue. Throughout the game, he was used much in the same way as he was toward the end of the season, lining up mostly at tailback or quarterback, and occasionally in the slot. He attempted his first pass since playing at Nebraska on Oct. 27 in the third quarter, but it was incomplete, intended for Dileo in the flat. That was his only pass attempt of the game.

Robinson completed the final performance of his Michigan career with 100 rushing yards, and he surpassed Pat White as the all-time NCAA leading rusher for a quarterback, with 4,495 yards.

“I know I’m going to remember the downs and ups,” Robinson said. “It’s always going to be a bittersweet feeling because I’m leaving. (Michigan) was my home for four years.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tulsa Golden Hurricane took the lead and never looked back in their 31-17 victory against the Cyclones in the 2012 Liberty Bowl.

Iowa State took no time at all putting the first points on the board. A 26-yard connection from Sam Richardson to Josh Lenz set up a 33-yard field goal to put the Cyclones in the lead early, 3-0.

After respective three-and-outs by Tulsa and Iowa State, Jeremy Reeves took an interception back 31 yards for a touchdown, putting Iowa State ahead 10-0.

On the ensuing drive, Tulsa went 75 yards to put its first points on the board with a 2-yard rush by Alex Singleton.

Wasting no time, Richardson connected with Ernst Brun on a 69-yard strike on only the second play of the drive, putting Iowa State ahead 17-7.

The 69-yard touchdown was the longest of Brun’s career as well as the seventh-longest in Liberty Bowl history.

The Cyclones struggled slightly for the remainder of the first quarter, allowing Richardson to be sacked twice in the one set of downs.

An ISU punt from its own end zone would set the Golden Hurricane up for a quarterback keeper by Cody Green on the first play of the second quarter. Tulsa got within striking distance of the Cyclones, down 17-14.

Struggles continued for the Cyclones through the second quarter. The defense allowed Singleton his second touchdown of the afternoon, another 2-yard rush giving Tulsa their first lead of the game 21-17.

Neither team got within scoring distance until about four minutes left in the half when Iowa State kicker Edwin Arceo missed a 34-yard field goal wide right.

That would do it for the first half of the 2012 Liberty Bowl. Richardson finished the half 8-of-16 with 121 yards and one touchdown.

After deciding to receive after the half, the Golden Hurricane took over from their own 8-yard line after a block in the back penalty.

Unable to do anything with the ball, Tulsa punted the ball away. The Cyclones took over for only a short time.

Richardson threw an interception on the second play of the drive, giving Tulsa the ball back at their own 16-yard line.

Each team had a respective punt to another. It wasn’t until about six minutes were left in the third quarter when the game became live again.

Tulsa’s Trey Watts broke a 48-yard run to set the Golden Hurricane up deep within Cyclone territory. After a couple of penalties that kept the drive alive, Singleton bowled his way in for his third touchdown of the game, putting Tulsa up 28-17.

The Iowa State offense was unable to get anything going on offense in the third quarter and being kept out of the end zone for the entire third quarter.

The trend continued for the Cyclones as they struggled on both sides of the ball.

Holding the Golden Hurricane to a field goal in the fourth quarter, the Cyclones’ deficit grew to 31-17.

A quarterback change was the only breath of fresh air the Cyclones saw in the fourth quarter, as quarterback Steele Jantz entered the game. A series of holding calls and negative plays forced the Cyclones to put again.

The ISU defense made a hold on third down, forcing Tulsa to give the ball back to the Cyclones with five minutes left in the game.

With desperation in the air, the Cyclones were trying to put a drive together when Richardson threw his second interception of the game.

From there, the Golden Hurricane ran the rest of the time off the clock, and the rest was history.

Post-game chatter

Here’s what coach Rhoads and some players had to say after the game:

“[Richardson] was sick. A gritty performance by the young man who was trowing up all night and a flu bug that came on late after dinner last night. It had nothing to do with the hit he took.” – Paul Rhoads on a dazed Sam Richardson

“It didn’t end how I wanted it to. I am just happy I had the opportunity to play here for four years and make an impact as a starter for three years. We had 25,000 plus fans and we wanted a win for them, just for making the trip. But things don’t always work out how you want them to.” – A.J. Klein on his final game as a Cyclone.

“We’re a very unified group, we do things together; a very close-fit group. And we’ve had a great month of December because of that. There’s no question we weren’t ready mentally or physically, we just got out played.” – Rhoads on his team exiting the 2012 season.

“It hurt to lose that game because of all the fans here and all the support they showed us throughout the whole week.” – Ernst Brun Jr., on the support of traveling fans.

In the team’s first true road game of the season, the Hoosiers had to battle through the raucous Hawkeye crowd that filled every seat in the arena. They had to make late-game free throws with the game on the line and the fans jumping around yelling and screaming, a part of the game the Hoosiers haven’t had to factor in yet this season.

Despite a late Iowa surge in the second half, the Hoosiers were able to fend off the Hawkeyes and their fans, pulling out the victory 69-65 to begin the conference season with a win.

Leading up to Monday’s game, though, IU had struggled against the Hawkeyes, dropping five of the teams’ last six matchups, spanning three seasons. The lone win came last season when IU hosted Iowa and won an offensive battle 103-89.

The Hoosiers had last won in Iowa City in 2008. Junior guard Victor Oladipo said that the team knew coming in that they were going to have to battle hard and turn that trend around.

“They’ve been kind of punking us the last couple years, especially here,” Oladipo said. “They’ve been out-rebounding us and just out-playing us, and I think this year, it was just kind of a mentality that we were going to come in here and take the first punch. We were going to play hard, and I think we did a phenomenal job tonight.”

During the Crean era, the Hoosiers have struggled on the road in the Big Ten, and even last season, as the team broke into the rankings and the national spotlight, Crean’s squad went just 3-6 on the road in conference play.

Oladipo said that starting off the conference season with a win, especially on the road, was a big accomplishment, and teammate sophomore forward Cody Zeller agreed.

But he may have had it a little easier than the rest of the Hoosiers.

Zeller said that his family, which includes his dad’s 11 brothers and sisters, held a reunion last night in the area in hopes that several of them could come to Monday’s game.

He said his uncle bought close to 50 tickets for the Zeller clan, and it was great to have them amongst the Iowa fans, but he relishes getting to play in front of loud away crowds.

“I love playing in big crowds, whether they’re cheering for you or against you,” Zeller said. “It get’s your adrenaline flowing. You want to play on the biggest stages. It’s a lot of fun.”

Junior forward Will Sheehey, on the other hand, did not have a large block of fans cheering him on Monday.

In fact, as the “Sheehey sucks” chants exploded from the Iowa student section midway through the second half, it appeared that Sheehey may have been the most hated man in Iowa City Monday afternoon.

They began as he pleaded with the referees for a couple calls that didn’t fall IU’s way, and after that, the heckling began.

“They were classy,” Sheehey said.

He added that the boos and the derogatory chants are all apart of the Big Ten atmosphere.

“Our fans would do the same thing, our fans would do the same thing, and to think that any team in the Big Ten’s fans wouldn’t be just as involved in rallying on their team, that’s just the way it works,” Sheehey said.

No. 9 Minnesota outlasted No. 18 Michigan State in the conference season opener 76-63 behind Andre Hollins’ game-highs in points (22) and assists (6).

Tubby Smith’s squad trailed 61-58 with 7:15 left in the second half when a dunk by Trevor Mbakwe sparked an 18-2 run to end the game.

“It’s not all physical,” Smith said. “I thought today we played not only with our heart [and] toughness, but we played with our head down the stretch.”

In a game with only two lead changes, Michigan State took a five-point lead with with 9:22 left after a 15-3 run.

“[In] years past we might have started arguing some or panicking,” senior Rodney Williams said, “and the game most likely would’ve gone the other way.”

After turning the ball over 16 times in the first 28 minutes, the Gophers flipped a switch and managed zero turnovers in the last 11 minutes. They forced five Spartans turnovers in the same stretch.

“We just didn’t panic,” Hollins said. “We knew this would be a close game.”

Both teams shot poorly from the charity stripe — 59 percent for Minnesota, 20 percent for the Spartans — but the Gophers finished 4-for-5 in the closing minutes.

“We made our free throws when they counted, made the big stops when we needed,” Smith said.

Steals by Williams, Mbakwe and Coleman in the final minutes created fast-break opportunities for the Gophers as they flourished outside of their halfcourt set.

Williams finished with 15 points — four shy of 1,000 on his career — six rebounds and three steals in 33 minutes.

Smith’s bench didn’t play much, as every Gophers starter except for Mbakwe (28 minutes) notched at least 30 minutes.

Mbakwe had a team-high 12 rebounds and 11 points as he competed for the first time this season without a brace on his right knee.

The sixth-year senior said he’s fully recovered from his surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and doesn’t want “people thinking about it anymore.”

“Anytime you have Trevor out there at full health, it’s going to be trouble for the other team,” Williams said.

Minnesota hadn’t beaten Michigan State since March 12, 2010, in the Big Ten tournament and not since 2006 in the regular season.

“We can’t sit on this win for too long,” junior Austin Hollins said. “It’s just the first one in a long journey.”

The Gophers (13-1) play Northwestern (9-4) next on Jan. 6.

Notes

- Williams Arena has had back-to-back announced sellouts of 14,625.

- After not playing against Lafayette, center Elliott Eliason came off the bench for 10 minutes, notching six rebounds and a block.

- Minnesota shot 57 percent from the field behind Andre Hollins’ 7-for-10 shooting.

Quarterback Case McCoy and linebacker Jordan Hicks were suspended by head coach Mack Brown and ordered home Friday from the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, according to multiple reports.

The move came hours after San Antonio police were dispatched to an undisclosed location — reportedly a downtown hotel separate from where the Longhorns are staying — at 2:49 a.m. after receiving a report of an alleged rape. The report identified the suspects as Texas football players, with the first suspect described as a 20-year-old black male, 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, and the second as a 21-year-old white male with brown collar-length hair and 6 feet tall.

The names of the suspects were blacked out on the report. Matthew Porter, San Antonio Police Department spokesman, said under state law the names of alleged sexual assault suspects cannot be released until a warrant has been issued for their arrest, and the names of alleged sexual assault victims can only be released during trial.

According to the police report, the 21-year-old woman who filed the charges was crying when officers arrived on the scene and said she was drinking with the two suspects at the hotel bar before inviting them back to her room, where she says she was raped. The woman was taken to a hospital with bruising on her knee and bicep.

Brown would not give the names of the accused while addressing reporters Friday, only saying “they broke team rules.” Brown would not say when the Longhorns’ curfew was, or whether they had one at all.

Attempts to reach McCoy on his cell phone Friday afternoon were unsuccessful. The younger brother of former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was the Longhorns’ No. 2 quarterback this season, with one start. Hicks has missed most of the season with a hip and groin injury and wasn’t going to play in the Alamo Bowl. Both players are juniors.

For a team that started the season ranked the No. 1 squad in the country, the 2012 USC Trojans’ fall might be unparalleled. And the fiasco reached its climax in El Paso on a windy Monday afternoon.

After a season that saw USC (7-6, 5-4 Pac-12) lose five games for the first time since 2001, the Trojans added a sixth loss, this one to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-7, 5-3 ACC) at the Hyundai Sun Bowl by a final score of 21-7.

The Trojans gained just 205 yards of offense on the day and was unable to find consistency without senior quarterback Matt Barkley, who missed his second straight game with a sprained shoulder. Sophomore quarterback Max Wittek started in his place and was 14-37 for just 107 yards, a touchdown and three untimely interceptions.

“We can’t be 7-6,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said after the game. “Not at ‘SC, and that’s not our expectations and not why we came here … Obviously we have some work to do to get that fixed. We are a young team — we started one senior on offense today — so we got to continue to recruit, continue to get better and obviously coach better.”

The Trojans got off to another slow start, as has been the case in several games this season, as they went a quick three-and-out on their first possession. Sophomore quarter Max Wittek missed junior wide receiver Robert Woods twice on the drive, with the passes sailing over Woods’ head. The Trojans wouldn’t even get a first down of the game until their second drive on a run by junior running back Silas Redd, who ran for 53 yards in the first half.

The game took a strange turn halfway through the first quarter when sophomore kicker Andre Heidari missed a 28-yard field goal wide to the left. The referees initially called the kick good, but reviewed it in the booth and took the points off the board.

The Trojan defense held up its end of the deal for the most part, holding the nation’s premier running game to 136 yards rushing in the first half. The Yellow Jackets were led primarily by senior quarterback Tevin Washington, though redshirt freshman quarterback Vad Lee entered the game in the first half and scored the game’s first points in the second quarter with a short touchdown pass.

Wittek struggled in the first half, throwing for just 58 yards and throwing an interception. Redd got the offense moving towards the end of the half, though, breaking off a 20-yard run through several Georgia Tech defenders. Redd fumbled later on the drive but recovered it after it bounced back into his hands. Soon after, Redd caught a swing pass and, after juggling it dangerously, took it in for a touchdown to tie the game 7-7 at the half.

“Our position coaches did a good job of letting us know there was still plenty of time on the clock and we could still get a quick stop and give the ball back to the offense and potentially tie the game up, ” senior defensive end Wes Horton said.

The second half started poorly for USC, as it was forced to punt on fourth down after receiving the kickoff.  Even worse, sophomore defensive back Jamal Golden returned the punt all the way to the USC 1-yard line, where Washington soon took it in on a sneak, giving Tech a 14-7 lead.

USC stalled once again on a pair of drives, with Redd unable to find any running room and Wittek not hitting his star receivers down the field. But with about five minutes left in the third, a Georgia Tech player accidentally touched a USC punt and freshman receiver Nelson Agholor recovered it. The Trojans failed to capitalize, though, as Wittek couldn’t convert on fourth down.

The fourth quarter featured more of the same middling play from USC, and the Yellow Jackets capitalized on a touchdown pass from Washington to senior running back Orwin Smith. Wittek missed more throws on the ensuing possession, giving Georgia Tech a chance to run more time off of the clock.

The Trojans got the ball back with about eight minutes left and after a few plays found themselves at the Georgia Tech 11-yard line.  But building on the theme for the day, Wittek failed to convert, getting intercepted in the end zone on a pass to Woods.

“I tried to stay positive throughout the entire game,” said Wittek, who was making just his second career start. “Body language is very essential and if I start putting my head down, what’s my team going to think of me? I felt in rhythm a couple of times, we got a couple of drives moving.”

After the game, Woods announced his intention to enter the 2013 NFL Draft, ending his record-setting career. The Trojans will now enter the 2013 season without the most prolific quarterback in conference history (Barkley) and its most prolific receiver (Woods). But Kiffin is still confident the Trojans will be okay.

“You have to look at yourself first and even though you feel like you were doing the same things you were doing the year before, you have to evaluate everything,” Kiffin said. “You can’t overreact either because you are basically doing the same stuff. Unfortunately, the record wasn’t the same that it was last year, but we’ll sit down and evaluate everything that we’re doing and get back to work.”

“We’re disappointed, but proud,” Bible said. “This group of seniors did a special job in the last six weeks and they distinguished themselves that way.”

Graduate student quarterback Mike Glennon completed 35 of his 53 passes for 383 yards, all of which are new Music City Bowl records. His lone touchdown pass was to redshirt junior wide receiver Rashard Smith. Smith had three catches for 50 yards.

Senior wide receiver Tobais Palmer caught eight passes for 111 yards. He also broke the Music City Bowl record for kick return yards with 173, including a 94-yard touchdown, his second on the season. Greg Golden was the last State player to return a kickoff for a score when he ran back a 90-yard return against Pittsburgh in 2001. Palmer is the first State player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same season since Lamont Reid accomplished the feat in 2002.

Palmer’s return yards brought his season total to 1,130, setting a new record for State. He is the second Pack player to amass over 1,000 yards in kickoff returns in school history with T.J. Graham earning 1,028 yards in 2008.

Vanderbilt redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Rodgers completed 16 of 25 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers also ran for 15 yards on four carries and an additional touchdown.

“He’s a really good player that made a lot of good plays,” Redshirt senior safety Earl Wolff said.

Wolff led the team with nine tackles, earning 400 tackles in his college career, a State first for defensive backs. He ranks fifth in most tackles in school history.

The defense held strong on third downs as it had all season. Prior to the bowl game, the Pack led the nation in third down conversions. Only 50 of 184 third downs were converted by opposing offenses. The Commodores only converted three of their 14 third downs in the contest.

The Pack turned the ball over to Vanderbilt five times, including three interceptions by Glennon.  Redshirt junior tight end Asa Watson and freshman running back Shadrach Thornton accounted for the remaining turnovers by fumbling in the first half.  While only losing two, State accounted for six fumbles, another Music City Bowl record.

“When you play a team like Vanderbilt, you cannot make mistakes like that,” Bible said. “We practiced hard through the month of December specifically concentrating on ball security.  Obviously, we did not get that done.”

Thornton ended the game with 42 rushing yards on 12 carries, snapping his streak of games with 100 yards on the ground. He also caught five passes for 41 yards.

Vanderbilt began the game by scoring a touchdown, the fourth time State has allowed an opening-drive score in its 13 games this season.  Rodgers connected with Commodore redshirt sophomore Chris Boyd.  Both teams remained off the scoreboard until less than five minutes into the second quarter when senior running back Zac Stacy ran six yards to the end zone for another Vanderbilt touchdown. Stacy finished the day with 107 rushing yards on 25 carries and earned Most Valuable Player honors for the game.

Redshirt sophomore running back Tony Creecy scored the first points for the Pack, finding the end zone on a one-yard rush. Creecy ended the game with 43 yards on nine carries as well as six receptions for 50 yards.

On the next Commodore possession, redshirt junior running back Jordan Tate rushed seven yards to the goal line for another Vanderbilt touchdown. On the following kickoff, Palmer returned the ball 94 yards to the end zone. Rodgers would find pay dirt in only two plays on the next possession, connecting with junior wide receiver Jordan Matthews on an 18-yard pass, the final score of the first half.

Junior placekicker Carey Spear scored the only points in the third quarter by kicking a 30-yard field goal for the Commodores.  Sophomore placekicker Niklas Sade began the fourth quarter by notching a 24-yard field goal for the Pack. Vanderbilt’s final score came on the legs of Rodgers, who ran 15 yards for the touchdown. The last score of the game was a touchdown pass from Glennon to Smith.

For nearly an entire season, the Scarlet Knights trudged through mud. They found none on the soaked Citrus Bowl turf, but a 13-10 overtime loss to Virginia Tech dampened a once-promising run.

“You’d love your offense to score 40 points and be able to get into a fourth quarter where you’re rushing the passer every play, but that’s just not the case sometimes,” said senior defensive tackle Scott Vallone. “The style of offense that we run — wanting to run the football and commit to that — those are kind of the games we plan on playing in.”

The Knights (9-4) resigned themselves to a similar fate in the Russell Athletic Bowl, where the only offense from either team largely came from the other side of the ball.

Rutgers never followed up its fumble recovery in the end zone on Virginia Tech’s second play from scrimmage, and sophomore quarterback Gary Nova’s 16th interception of the season set up the Hokies’ (7-6) only touchdown.

Nova took blame for the error — he said it was a poor pass to sophomore wide receiver Brandon Coleman, but the two have a history of miscommunication on the field — as well as a fourth-quarter fumbled exchange Virginia Tech recovered.

He finished 17-for-40 for 129 yards despite — or perhaps because of — offensive coordinator Dave Brock’s catered play calling. A combination of three-step drops, screen passes and quick timing patterns littered Nova’s evening, but little worked.

Neither did the Knights’ 39 rush attempts, a mentality Vallone said is “the brand we play.”

“Obviously it’s a frustrating night, but you just try to keep fighting through it,” Nova said. “We didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

Head coach Kyle Flood reiterated his faith in Nova the starter postgame, much like he did Aug. 20, when Nova emerged as Flood’s full-time quarterback. He has hitched his wagon on Nova’s 6-foot-2 frame, for better or worse.

His and Nova’s fates are inextricably linked.

“I don’t believe in just throwing things against the wall to see if they work,” Flood said. “Gary’s our starting quarterback. … When you invest the reps and the preparation in your starting quarterback, you have to believe that as he goes through the game he’s going to get better.”

After blowing a 10-point halftime lead and throwing 13 interceptions in the second half of the season, neither proved particularly true for Nova.

Six interceptions Oct. 27 against Kent State distort that number. Losing sophomore running back Jawan Jamison, who suffered an ankle injury Nov. 10 against Army and again last night, certainly hurt, as well.

But more than anything, a lack of offensive continuity ultimately proved Nova’s undoing.

“I think I got a little better every game,” Nova said. “Obviously the turnovers toward the end of the season were not I wanted. I just have to keep getting better.”

For the time being, the responsibility falls on Brock.

The career assistant spent nearly 10 months leaving his imprint on Rutgers’ offense, which spent five drives in Virginia Tech territory without scoring a touchdown. He said before the season he lacked the frame of reference on how Rutgers’ defense remained the program’s calling card.

“Sometimes if you have a decent day,” Brock said Aug. 11 during the team’s media day, “people think it’s a great day because I don’t know how many decent days people have had here.”

Flood said he could not discount the first share of a Big East title in program history in defining this season, his first with a head coach’s responsibility. He sat teary-eyed at his postgame press conference, answering more questions about the fate of his starting quarterback — nearly a year after trying to provide the position with stability.

He likely did not envision doing so three games ago, when Rutgers sat in first place in the Big East, prime realty for a BCS berth.

Flood, the Knights’ former offensive line coach, ultimately found himself following the muddied footprints of seasons’ past.

“We wanted to go out with 10 wins,” Vallone said, “and instead, we get a three-game losing streak.”

Alex Okafor stood atop the winner’s platform on the 50-yard line of the Alamodome, and his smile said it all.

Even as hundreds of colored balloons streamed from above and Texas players jumped around in child-like euphoria, it was the toothy grin of Texas’ senior leader that showed just how much the Longhorns’ last minute, 31-27 win over Oregon State meant.

The victory, at the Alamo Bowl, is only Texas’ ninth of the year, but it signified so much more. No, it does not mean the Longhorn program back to prominence. But it is a huge stride in the right direction.

Texas was ready to make the move forward against TCU and Kansas State, but on a Saturday night, only a few hours away from Austin, a young Longhorns squad inched towards where it wants to be.

“We told the guys at halftime ‘This is what we need, we need a tough win against a top team to get back into the mix where we get confidence,’” Brown said. “This was a really huge win for us.”

It didn’t look like it’d for the majority of the game. Not even close.

The Beavers dominated the first half, and outside of a 64-yard scamper by Marquis Goodwin on a reverse, the Longhorns only gained 59 yards on offense. It wasn’t much better for the defense either, as Oregon State gashed the Longhorns on the ground.

However, something sparked in the second half.

Well really, it was three something’s: Okafor, Goodwin and David Ash.

Ash struggled early on in the game. He looked out of sorts, came up short on throws and never looked comfortable in the pocket. But in the third quarter he found a rhythm, and that started with his legs. Ash, who had only run for 119 yards and one touchdown all season, began to scramble in the third quarter, and it paid off.

After a Quandre Diggs interception, Ash marched Texas down the field for a touchdown, capped off by an 11-yard scamper by Ash.

The run put Texas within three points of the lead and helped swing the momentum of the game.

“When you’re struggling you have to wait for the play that sparks,” Ash said. “And in this game we started getting them.”

However, the Longhorns comeback never truly engulfed until another bit of magic by Ash, this time with his legs and his arm.

With eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Texas found itself, once again, down by 10. The Longhorns drove the ball into the Beavers’ red zone, but on third down things went amiss.

The pocket protection that had allowed the Longhorns to steer the ball deep into Oregon State territory started to break down, forcing Ash to scramble in the backfield to keep the drive alive. It was in that controlled chaos that Ash slipped out of a would-be tackle and rolled to his left, lofting a pass to a streaking Johnathan Gray in the end zone, where it landed softly in his hands.

“I think at that point you just start reacting,” Ash said. “It’s not really designed that way, just kind of happens that way.”

Ash’s instincts propelled the Longhorns. But it was the defense, specifically the pass rush that kept the Longhorns afloat during the scoring lulls.

During the preparation for the bowl game defensive coordinator Manny Diaz saw a weakness in the Beaver protection in passing situations, and the Longhorns exploited to the fullest.

The Longhorns recorded an eye-popping 10 sacks, and made Beaver quarterback, Cody Vaz’s night miserable. Vaz, who had only thrown one interception all season, threw two in the loss. He looked flustered in the pocket, and never found his rhythm.

Okafor was the biggest reason why.

The senior lived in the backfield, causing havoc with every step. Okafor recorded an Alamo Bowl record, four-and-a-half, making the Oregon State left tackle look like nothing more a practice dummy at times.

He beat him around the edge, on the inside with swim moves and even went straight through him on occasion. He was nothing short of a force. Okafor seemed at a loss for words to describe the moment saying simply, “I just kind of got in the zone.”

Okafor’s pass rushing ability sealed the game, but a connection between Ash and Goodwin won it.

With less than three minutes remaining and Texas down by three, the Longhorns finally made a deep strike. Marquis Goodwin, an Olympian with elite speed, broke off a double move that left him nothing but open space and the end zone in front of him. And when Ash needed to make a throw the most, he delivered.

“It was a setup all game, Goodwin said. “They bit on the double move and I escaped him, Ash threw and great ball, and touchdown.”

The throw sealed the Longhorn win, and gave a young team momentum entering next season.

But for the seniors like Okafor, Goodwin and Kenny Vaccaro, the win meant so much more.

“[Strength Coach] Coach Cross had a good mention this morning in chapel,” Vaccaro said. “It was our job to get them [the team] to the Promised Land. He said ‘Moses got them to the Promised Land and Joshua took him through. And that’s what is left for these young guys to do.”

The Gophers blew a late lead and lost 34-31 to the favored Red Raiders in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.

It was Minnesota’s fourth consecutive bowl loss dating back to 2005, but it was a step forward for a program that hadn’t made a bowl game since 2009. Once known as underachievers, the Gophers (6-7) have returned to respectability, and they showed it in Friday’s loss.

Until the end, anyway.

Texas Tech scored 10 points in the last 70 seconds, including a 28-yard field goal by Ryan Bustin as time expired, to overcome a 31-24 deficit that Minnesota had created with an effective game plan and solid all-around play.

“I think we did everything we could to win a game,” Gophers second-year head coach Jerry Kill said. “We just didn’t make a critical play.”

The Reliant Stadium crowd, which was mostly pro-Texas Tech, appeared shocked for most of the second half as the Gophers held the Red Raiders’ potent offense scoreless for 29 straight minutes. But fans erupted when quarterback Seth Doege found Eric Ward for a 35-yard reception to cut Minnesota’s lead to one.

They got even louder on the ensuing Gophers possession, when D.J. Johnson intercepted a deep third-down pass by quarterback Philip Nelson with less than a minute to play.

Nelson threw into double coverage on third-and-7 from his own 33-yard line, and his pass was tipped into the hands of Johnson, who returned the interception to Minnesota’s 22-yard line to set up Bustin’s game winner.

“We make two or three passes and kick a field goal and win the game,” Kill said of the Gophers’ strategy on their final possession. “We threw a corner route and they were in cover one … and they made a play.”

Nelson shined for most of his bowl game debut, but he misfired on his last five passes. He finished 7-for-18 with 138 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

“I wish I could have sent these guys off on a better note,” an emotional Nelson said postgame.

Nelson and MarQueis Gray split time at quarterback as Minnesota dominated time of possession with a powerful running game. The Gophers ran 54 times for 222 yards and two scores, but their offense stagnated whenever they had the lead.

Minnesota went three-and-out twice in the fourth quarter following interceptions by Michael Carter. On one of those possessions, Gray overthrew an open receiver twice.

Gray’s last game symbolized his disappointing Gophers career, which showed flashes of brilliance but rarely turned into success. But the future remains bright — albeit uncertain — for Nelson and the rest of Minnesota’s young core of players.

“The way we came out and played today is going to increase the confidence of the younger guys going into next season,” Gray said. “I feel like this will help turn the program around.”

Notes

- Minnesota blew a 38-7 lead in its only previous meeting with Texas Tech — a 44-41 overtime loss in the 2006 Insight Bowl.

- Gophers defensive back Troy Stoudermire broke the NCAA record for career kick-return yards in the first quarter.

A wintry mix of snow and sleet blanketed Yankee Stadium, and the storybook ending West Virginia fans had hoped would meet 21 departing seniors was erased as Syracuse achieved victory in convincing fashion.

The Mountaineers converted on none of their 11 third-down tries and were outscored 23-7 in the third quarter – a stretch that sucked the life from West Virginia and all but sealed a Syracuse victory.

Syracuse junior running back Prince-Tyson Gulley was named the Pinstripe Bowl MVP after gaining 208 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries – the first player in 11 years to rush for more than 200 yards against West Virginia.

Gulley also added 50 yards receiving and a touchdown on five receptions.

Fellow junior running back Jerome Smith carried 29 times for 158 yards, and senior quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 12-of-24 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said his team’s inability to counter the Syracuse rushing attack ultimately led to the Mountaineers’ demise.

“Any time you get out-rushed by 300 yards, you’re going to have some problems,” he said.

“The team with the best run game was going to win and they clearly have a better running game.”

It took until the 2:28 mark in the second quarter before the Mountaineers found the scoreboard when a 32-yard screen pass from senior quarterback Geno Smith to redshirt junior wide receiver Stedman Bailey cut into the Orange lead and made it 12-7 heading into halftime.

Consecutive Syracuse touchdowns pushed the score to 26-7, but West Virginia answered, again via a Bailey touchdown reception, and trailed 26-14 with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Smith completed 18-of-26 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions, pushing his season mark to a national-best 42 touchdown passes.

Gulley hit pay dirt on the ensuing Orange possession, and a West Virginia safety on the subsequent drive spelled doom for the Mountaineers.

Holgorsen said there were many things that West Virginia did poorly, including being unable to overcome adversity.

“(This season) our pass defense was bad but our run defense was okay, and then to be in a game like this where you have to rely on your run defense to help you win and you’re not able to do it, it’s pretty frustrating,” he said.

“The bottom line is our team didn’t overcome a lot of things and didn’t do enough to stay in the game.”

West Virginia ends its season with an overall record of 7-6 – a far fall from the No. 4 ranked, 5-0 team that once was.

With the departures of key seniors and Bailey, the outlook for next season remains murky. Holgorsen said this individual loss is only part of the team’s big picture for the future.

“We’re going to learn a lot more about what happened in the Big 12 this year,” he said. “Moving on from here, it’s more about that than this specific game.”

Senior inside receiver Tavon Austin was limited to just 153 all-purpose yards, and he finishes his career as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards.

Bailey, who will forego his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, finished with eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns; his 25 touchdowns this season lead the nation. He departs West Virginia as the school’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions.

Smith’s career ends as the most decorated passer in program history, as he set or broke every significant passing record during his career.

One thing lacking from Smith’s career resume is a victory against Syracuse; he finished his career 0-3 against the Orange.

But as Duke enters its 2013 campaign, it will be haunted by the one streak it was unable to break this year—a winless streak in bowl games that now stands at 51 years and counting.

The Belk Bowl Thursday night against Cincinnati (10-3) marked Duke’s first postseason appearance since 1994, and its chance chance to bring home its first bowl victory since 1961. The Blue Devils (6-7) fell 48-34 at Bank of America Stadium. But in a game highlighted by the stellar play of two opposing quarterbacks, the defense decided the contest in the final minutes.

“At the end of the day, we still had a chance to win and I think that’s what you have to take out of this,” senior wide receiver Connor Vernon said. “But we weren’t satisfied with just making it to a bowl game. We came to Charlotte with the intention of winning.”

Five yards from the end zone with the contest knotted at 34-34, the Blue Devils had an opportunity with 1:20 left to notch the game’s winning score. Redshirt sophomore running back Josh Snead took the ball up the middle and seemed to have a crease before the Bearcats’ Brandon Mills collided with Snead, forcing the ball to come out at the six-yard line. Cincinnati quarterback Brendon Kay’s go-ahead 83-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce with 44 seconds left sealed Duke’s fate, finishing the season on a five-game losing skid.

Duke looked to have an answer to Kay’s long touchdown pass after a 13-yard completion from Renfree to Crowder and a roughing-the-passer penalty against the Bearcats gave the Blue Devils great field position. But it was Cincinnati’s defense that came up big in the end, when Renfree was hit by Malik Bomar, resulting in his pass being intercepted by linebacker Nick Temple and returned 55 yards for the game’s final touchdown.

“There’s a big difference between winning a bowl game and losing one,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said.

Throughout the game, both defenses fell victim to the opposing quarterback being able to pick through their coverage with ease. Redshirt senior quarterback Sean Renfree threw for 358 yards on 49 attempts, including a touchdown to Vernon.

Quarterback Brendon Kay and the Bearcat wide receivers were simply too explosive for a depleted Duke secondary. Kay finished his Cincinnati career throwing for 332 yards and four touchdowns on just 25 attempts. His two favorite targets in the vertical passing game, Kelce and wide receiver Anthony McClung, finished with 123 and 110 receiving yards, respectively, and combined for two touchdowns on eight receptions.

“They made big plays, they made too many explosive plays and we didn’t finish our opportunities,” Cutcliffe said.

Duke jumped out to an early lead with a drive which was capped by a five-yard touchdown run by redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon Connette. Redshirt senior Cornerback Tony Foster provided a highlight on special teams when he blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 16-0. Cincinnati responded by scoring 27 unanswered points.

Although both offenses appeared to steal the show, freshman punter Will Monday may have had the play of the game, booting a punt 79 yards to the Bearcat two-yard line. Kay, however, did not let the poor field position bother him, leading a 98-yard drive to give Cincinnati a 17-16 halftime advantage.

The Bearcats came out strong in the second half but had to settle for a field goal after a strong stand by the Duke defense. The Blue Devils tried to increase the pace, going back to the no-huddle offense they began the game with, but Renfree made a mistake when Arryn Chenault intercepted a ball thrown into double coverage.

On the ensuing drive, running back George Winn took a handoff and ran straight up the middle, mostly untouched, for a 46-yard touchdown.

Although Cincinnati gashed Duke’s defense, the Blue Devil offense operated on all cylinders going into the fourth quarter. They opened the quarter the same way they ended the third—throwing short passes for long gains. A two-yard pass from Connette to tight end David Reeves put the Blue Devils up 31-27 with 12:45 left in the game.

Kay answered once again, this time with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore, putting the Bearcats up 34-31. After Renfree failed to complete a third-down pass on Duke’s next drive, freshman kicker Ross Martin hit a career-long 52-yard field goal.

“I was completely focused for that kick. I’ve done it a hundred times before,” Martin said.

The end of Duke’s season also marks the end of an era for the team’s senior class. Cutcliffe lauded his seniors, who gathered in the locker room after the game while he commended them for their efforts.

“I think we came out tonight and played extremely well,” head coach Art Briles said. “Offensively, [we made] some plays when we [needed] to. It’s very seldom that you can not win the return yardage battle, not win the turnover battle…and win the football game.”

This bowl win is Baylor’s second in as many years. Junior defensive end Chris McAllister was named defensive MVP, and sophomore running back Lache Seastrunk was named offensive MVP.

Baylor came out strong despite playing in a hostile environment in San Diego, just two hours drive time from UCLA. Junior running back Glasco Martin scored on Baylor’s second drive to give the Bears an early lead. Martin finished with 98 yards and three touchdowns.

Sophomore wide receiver Antwan Goodley scored on a quick 8-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Nick Florence on Baylor’s next possession.

Florence wasn’t done, however. Baylor next took a 21-0 lead off of a 55-yard touchdown pass from Florence to junior inside receiver Tevin Reese.

Florence finished with two touchdowns on 10 of 13 passing. He also threw for 188 yards and passed former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III’s record for passing yards in a single season.

“I hope when people look at me and see what I’ve done that [they see] it’s always been a team-first mentality,” Florence said. “It’s not about me. It’s all about this team. It’s all about what’s written on the front of our jerseys, and that’s what I want to be remembered for: being a team player and doing whatever I can for my team.”

Baylor only threw the ball twice in the entire second half because the Bears took a 35-10 lead into halftime, but the Bears’ offense kept on rolling on the ground.

“[The run game] was huge,” Florence said. “Again, O-line. Best O-line in America making running lanes, and we’ve got the best backs in America. They’ve done a heck of a job running the ball. Hats off to the O-line…they deserve all of the credit.”

On top of Martin’s production, Seastrunk rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown that was a 43-yard run towards the end of the first half. Seastrunk saw an opening and got into the secondary. He planted his foot in the ground and changed direction quick enough to elude the two defensive backs standing between him and the goal line.

“My linemen locked up on everybody,” Seastrunk said. “I just saw the Red Sea part. I just took off.”

The Baylor defense really stepped up and helped earn the win. On the season, the Bears recorded 13 sacks. Against UCLA, the Bears sacked Bruin quarterback Brett Huntley six times and had 12 tackles for loss.

“They were a great opponent and a really good team,” McAllister said. “We were just prepared for the game and had a good game plan and were able to execute… Coach Bennett is an aggressive coach. He likes to blitz. We tried to get a lot of pressure [on the quarterback.]”

The defense also did a great job of containing Bruin running back Jonathan Franklin. Franklin rushed for over 1,700 yards this season, but Baylor held him to 34 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

“He’s a guy that’s been extremely productive throughout his entire career,” Briles said. “I just felt we played very well up front on both sides of the ball.”

During the trophy presentation, Briles thanked Baylor nation that was present at the game. This included the hundreds of students that endured the 27-hour bus ride from Waco to San Diego.

Briles turned to the stands and smiled. “Baylor nation is alive and well,” he said.

With the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama looming, the game has been dissected from every angle and, as is typical with any mention of Notre Dame, everyone has an opinion.

Here are some of the highlights from this week’s broadcasts:

Wednesday

Finebaum has yet to give a score prediction for the national championship game, but he indicated Wednesday he expects Alabama to win.

“You give [Alabama head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart] this much time to get ready for a team … almost across the board they’ve been able to take away what that team does best,” said Finebaum, who pointed to last year’s championship game rematch between Alabama and LSU, a contest won by the Crimson Tide 21-0.

Later in the show, a truck driver from Atlanta called in to the program, and he had little respect for Notre Dame or its chances to compete with Alabama.

“We haven’t heard from Notre Dame fans in 25 years, and now they think they’re the top dog,” the caller said. “If it wasn’t for NBC ramming them down our throats every week, we wouldn’t hear from them at all [the past 24 years].”

Hugh, an Indiana resident, later called in, saying he was on a geographical island as a Crimson Tide fan who grew up in Alabama. He now finds himself trying to coexist with Irish fans.

“If [the game] doesn’t go well, I’m going to live in misery the next year,” he said.

Hugh added that he greeted his doctor with a “Roll Tide,” and his physician, an Irish fan, told him to leave (in jest).

Friday

With various NFL jobs beckoning, rumors continue to swirl regarding Saban’s future, and that discussion dominated much of the airwaves this week. Finebaum discussed a Yahoo! Sports report that cited one source on each side of the Saban-to-the-Cleveland-Browns rumor. One unidentified caller was distraught at the thought of a Saban departure. Finebaum expects Saban, who left LSU for the Miami Dolphins following the 2004 season, to remain at Alabama after the championship game, but said he thinks there must be something to the rumors “because they won’t go away.”

“[Saban is] a liar, and he’s been a liar everywhere he’s been,” the caller said. “You know you’re going to the pros and walk out on the Bamers (Alabama fans) and break the hearts of the children of Alabama.

“There will be crying in the streets and people will take their clothes off and run around naked. The Bamers will blame it on George Bush because it’s popular to blame it on George Bush. Paul, this will be your fault because you are the voice of the SEC.”

The interesting Notre Dame-related tidbit of Friday’s show was a lifelong Alabama fan who called in and recalled a sign a fan held at Alabama’s final home game of the 1966 season that read, “Ara plays to tie, Bear plays to win.”

In that 1966 season, Bear Bryant’s 11-0 Alabama squad finished 11-0 but was ranked third in the country behind No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Michigan State. The Irish and Spartans had just a week prior completed the famous 10-10 tie, known to this day as the ‘Game of the Century.’ Parseghian was criticized for a conservative approach to the game’s final minutes to preserve the tie, rather than go for the win and risk the loss.

Finebaum’s show runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, and can be heard nationally on Sirius XM Radio or at MyFoxFinebaum.com

The Knights (10-4) defeated Ball State (9-4) 38-17 to win the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, and Bortles turned in a memorable performance that earned him the MVP award.

Bortles completed 22 of 32 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns.

“I thought Blake Bortles played extremely well with his feet and his arm and made quick decisions and I thought that was the difference in the game,” head coach George O’Leary said.

The Knights offense was clicking from it’s opening possession. In it’s first possession, UCF and Bortles set the tone, driving the ball 78 yards in 13 plays. Bortles highlighted the drive with a 19-yard rush on third down and 12.

Bortles carried the ball nine times for 79 yards and had an emphatic touchdown as he bowled over two Ball State defenders on his way to pay dirt.

Bortles was criticized early in the season for forcing passes into coverage and protecting the ball. That was not a problem in this game, nor has it been a problem for the latter half of the season.

Bortles exemplified his patience many times on Friday night, especially on his third quarter touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore J.J. Worton. Bortles dodged the rush, rolled out to his left and lofted his pass into the corner of the end zone. Countless times Bortles was able to extend plays and give his receivers plenty of time to get open down field.

“I think he took some bad plays and made some good plays out of them,” O’Leary said. “Again he had a good night and when your quarterback does well, your offense moves the ball.”
OFFENSE
Knights fans were gifted this holiday season with a glimpse of the future. Freshman wide receiver Breshad Perriman was the beneficiary of Bortles career night, setting career highs in both catches and yards.

Perriman hauled in five passes for 90 yards.

“Clemson had some outstanding athletes and I don’t think these guys were very far off,” Ball State head coach Pete Lembo said of UCF’s athletes.

Perriman had three of his catches on the opening drive, and four total in the first quarter.

Up front, the Knights’ offensive line had a dominant performance, giving Bortles plenty of time to work through his progressions and allowing receivers to break open. The line was also instrumental in controlling the clock for over 35 minutes and rushing for 224 yards.

“The offensive line did a great job of just opening up seams and when they drop deep out there, it’s either check down or take off,” Bortles said.

Latavius Murray continued his productive ways, ending his career in style with 21 carries, 71 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Muray also caught six passes for 32 yards and two scores.

DEFENSE

The Knights’ defense was able to suffocate the Cardinals, and made it difficult for them to get into any kind of rhythm. The Knights presence inside was dominant and disruptive.

At a critical stage late in the second quarter, Ball State drove down into the red zone, and was in prime position to cut the score to 21-14 just before halftime. The Knights were able to track down junior quarterback Keith Wenning for a sack and for a loss of eleven yards.

“You penetrate deep in their end, and you absolutely love to come away with a touchdown there but at a minimum you have to come away with three,” Lembo said.

The Cardinals missed the ensuing field goal wide left, allowing UCF to push its lead to 28-7 at halftime.

UCF amassed sacks, hurries and senior safety Kemal Ishmael forced a fumble.

The Cardinals were held to 286 yards in the game and 2.8 yards per carry.

Ball State was unable to produce on third down consistently, converting on only three of nine opportunities.

The win boosted the Knights to their fourth ten-win season and provided the program’s second bowl victory.

In his introductory press conference alongside Alvarez, UW’s 29th head coach expressed not only his excitement to be with the program and a commitment to developing his players on and off the field, but also showed how well-spoken he is, giving Badger fans a strong first impression of their new head coach.

The former Utah State head coach came within a field goal of upsetting Wisconsin Sept. 12. After his brief experience at Camp Randall, Andersen said when Alvarez offered him the job, no persuasion was necessary.

“Coach Alvarez didn’t have to make a pitch,” Andersen said. “The pitch was made when I got to spend three hours out on that field. When coach offered me the job I just said ‘yes.’ I think (Alvarez) was shocked. I didn’t ask any more questions, I just had my hand in the air.”

While Andersen was more than excited to accept the position, Alvarez said that he didn’t offer the job to anyone else but Andersen and interviewed three different candidates.

Alvarez also went on to add that Andersen — who led the Aggies to an 11-2 season just four years after taking over a perennial loser — had a philosophy that matched Wisconsin’s football brand.

“All the things he believed in, I believed in,” Alvarez said. “The whole package was there. I thought he would be the perfect fit for our fans, for our players and for everyone associated with our program.”

Prior to taking over the Utah State program, Andersen served as the defensive coordinator at Utah. During his time with the Aggies, he transformed the defense to one of the best in the league and this year USU currently sits eighth in the country in scoring defense, allowing an average of 15.4 points per game.

Andersen’s defense isn’t the same as the one the Badgers have employed in the past, but the fundamentals are still there, according to Alvarez.

While the defense will maintain a similar feel, questions about the offense have arisen as Andersen ran a spread offense at USU.

True to Wisconsin’s pro-style, running tradition, the first question Andersen faced in the his first press conference with the Wisconsin media concerned what offensive strategy will be used.

“We will be a power run team,” Andersen said. “We will use tight ends and multiple sets … I believe we’ll be a football team that will be run-first, and our goal and our mindset and our want will be to wear you down as the game goes on and to out tough you and out physical you. (It’s an) easy thing to sit up on the podium and say, but that will be the mindset, and that’s the way it’s always been whenever I’ve had the opportunity to coach a football team.”

After accepting the position Andersen said he contacted each of his former players and gave them a chance to react to the news to him personally. Just days after winning the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with a 41-15 decision over Toledo, Andersen admitted his players were not thrilled, but that they understood the situation.

“Why was it so important to me? Because the kids deserve that,” Andersen explained. “If they’re frustrated, they deserve to tell me they’re frustrated, which not one of them was. I’m not going to tell you they were doing back flips, but they understood the situation. They understand the University of Wisconsin. They understand, because a lot of them were here and it helped them. They were able to be on that field. They were able to see the stands, the crowd, the city, so that made it much easier for every one of those young men.”

Andersen noted that he would not be bringing any of his former players — including his son Keegan who is a sophomore tight end for the Aggies — or other recruits to Wisconsin. This seems to wipe away previous speculation that Utah State’s deal-threat quarterback, sophomore Chuckie Keeton, would become a Badger.

With few ties in the Midwest, recruiting certainly was an important question surrounding the new head coach. Andersen made it clear that any great coach should be able to attract any player, whether previous ties exist or not.

“Good coaches, good recruiters can walk into any living room and show what a university is,” Andersen said. “A lot of coaches like to talk about, oh, when you’re a recruiter, you’ve got to sell your university. No, you don’t, not here. You have to show what you have. You have to get young men on campus. You have to get the mentor or the parents or the coach or whoever it may be on campus, and there’s just — you just have to show who you are and what you have. There’s no selling.”

As Andersen starts to assemble his staff — bringing some of his former assistants with him — he did indicate that he will keep defensive backs coach Ben Strickland on staff and will work on pursuing other key assistants who are mulling other offers. Bret Bielema’s predecessor also confirmed after the show that defensive coordinator Dave Aranda will join him in Madison.

As Andersen starts to interact with the Wisconsin players, he said he will work to establish a strong relationship with them — they are his “kids” too. But the new head coach also spoke of the importance of establishing the foundational motivations within the program.

“The hardest thing to break down and build in my opinion is the belief to win,” Andersen said. “There’s something to be said about that. It’s not in a bottle. It’s not magic dust that you sprinkle over the top of their heads. It’s an expectation that they work all year to do, and these young men expect to win. Because of that, every year is a challenge, and every year is a different set of challenges … I know the young men that are here, and we’re excited to continue a winning tradition. It’s a little different than the team we took over last time for sure.”

Parker announced his decision Thursday afternoon in the gym at his high school, Simeon Career Academy.

“In the fall of 2013, I will be attending Duke University,” Parker said. ”[Krzyzewski] knows a lot. He comes from a real prestigious background.”

Parker said staying close to home, Duke’s academics and Krzyzewski were the primary reasons he chose Duke.

In a long, back-and-forth recruiting battle—primarily between Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Krzyzewski—Duke finally prevailed over the Spartans, as well as BYU, Florida and Stanford, to win the 6-foot-8, 220-pound small forward’s services.

“I think Jabari Parker is about as big of a priority as I’ve seen Mike Krzyzewski put on a kid in a long, long time,” ESPN Senior Recruiting Analyst Dave Telep said just weeks after the Duke coaching staff arrived to Parker’s open gym in a limo last fall.

Krzyzewski’s persistent efforts have paid off. A truly unique prospect and prodigious talent, Parker can do it all on the hardwood. With a silky smooth jump shot, NBA size and a remarkably polished offensive repertoire, the Chicago prep basketball prodigy has game and body that bears an eerie resemblance to a young Carmelo Anthony.

Perhaps even more special is his character and work ethic. His devout Mormon faith differentiates him from his peers. Unlike many young superstars, Parker shies away from the spotlight and puts the team above himself at all costs.

His father, Sonny Parker—who played in the NBA—and his caring mother, Lola, have played invaluable roles in keeping Jabari on the right path while navigating through an incredibly hyped high school basketball career and recruiting process.

The hype, however, is warranted. Playing in one of the most fierce high school basketball hotbeds in the nation, Parker has led Simeon Career Academy to three-straight state championships. As a junior, he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, and last spring he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, being described as “the best high school basketball player since LeBron James.”

With his senior campaign now underway, Parker will try to lead his squad to an unprecedented fourth-straight title, a feat that’s never been accomplished in big-school Illinois basketball.

Parker, however, is not in top form. While playing for the U.S. U-18 National Team over the summer, he sustained a foot injury, which required surgery. Consequently, the setback put him on the shelf for several months, forcing him to miss much of his final summer on the AAU circuit. Recently, Parker returned to the court and is slowly working his way back into game shape.

While recovering through the fall, Parker’s recruitment escalated. He took official visits to Michigan State, Duke, Florida and BYU, before December.

Following the official visit to Durham, rumblings began to surface that the official visit went very well for Duke, and a renewed sense of optimism spread amongst the fan base, who until that point had predominately felt Michigan State might have the slight lead.

Since setting the announcement date, the Spartan and Blue Devil fan bases have been on pins and needless knowing that the fate of a championship run could hinge on Parker’s announcement.

Ultimately, Duke won Parker over in a nail bitter. This, however, is not the first time Krzyzewski—a Chicago native himself— has experienced recruiting success at his old stomping grounds. The all-time winningest coach in college basketball has secured commitments from Windy City products Jon Scheyer, current assistant coach Chris Collins, Corey Maggette, Sean Dockery and Shaun Livingston.

Parker’s pledge, however, gives Krzyzewski one of his most talented players to ever come to Durham. Many recruiting experts feel that Parker is one of the best high school basketball players to come along in the last decade.

“He’s up there with Jason Williams, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden,” Telep said in an interview earlier this fall.

As talented and impressive as Krzyzewski’s current squad is—currently ranked No. 1—next year’s bunch could have an even higher ceiling.

Similar to the makeup of his U.S. National Team this summer, Krzyzewski will have one of his most versatile, athletic and deep lineups of the past decade at his disposal. Duke will likely return starters Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon, as well as reserves Amile Jefferson, Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston, Marshall Plumlee and Alex Murphy. Redshirt senior Andre Dawkins should be back on the court. The Blue Devils will then add talented Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood, as well as promising incoming freshmen Semi Ojeleye, Matt Jones and the likely centerpiece of the team—Jabari Parker.

And as his career draws nearer to an end, Krzyzewski’s blueprint for the 2013-14 Duke team has finally come to fruition, and it’s a squad that promises to make another serious run at a national championship.

With his final pass of his collegiate career, the Wildcats scored their second touchdown in the final 49 seconds.

Scott found receiver Tyler Slavin in the end zone, which brought the Wildcats back from not only the 21-point deficit to start the game, but a 45-28 third quarter deficit. The Wildcats were wholly unable to stop Nevada the entire afternoon, but when it came down to it, as Scott put it, “We just executed. We just fought and battled.”

“I’m glad they put me in,” Slavin said. “That meant a lot for me. I wanted to do it for [Scott] and for the seniors and for everybody that’s been working hard. It’s a great way to do it for the seniors and Matt Scott.”

Arizona fought back despite a stellar performance from Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo, who broke a New Mexico Bowl record with 396 total yards and four total touchdowns. Fajardo was voted the MVP of the game until Scott’s final touchdown pass.

The play that set up Arizona’s opportunity to win the game was Scott’s touchdown pass to receiver Austin Hill, who had a game-high 175 yards.

Nevada was called for two pass interference penalties in the final four minutes, which set up the Wildcats at the Wolf Pack two-yard-line. Scott hit Hill in the end zone, but at the time, Nevada still held a 48-42 lead.

After the extra point, kicker John Bonano kicked “the most perfect onside kick you can ever ask for,” according to center Kyle Quinn. “Unbelievable kick by Bonano.”

Because of a recent rule change in college football, attempting an onside kick became much more difficult. Players on the receiving team are allowed to fair catch the ball if it bounces high into the air after bouncing once.

“I’ve had to work on it all year to get two bounces, or to get it to bounce off of a guy,” Bonano said. “I saw a guy sitting right there, so that’s the guy I aimed at. The way I set it up, it popped right into his chest.”

After Bonano kicked it, it hit a Nevada player in the facemask before falling on the ground in front of linebacker Marquis Flowers, the game’s defensive MVP. Flowers sealed the game with an interception after Slavin’s score.

“We practice it all the time, but when it actually hit him, it was like slow motion,” Flowers said. “I look on the ground, and the ball is rolling right down, and I was like ‘My team needs me.’ So I just jumped on it and secured it. I just made sure I jumped on it to give our offense a chance.”

“It was hard,” Scott said. “It’s not easy to come back from that situation. We went out there and took care of business.”

It wasn’t always so crystal clear.

The Wildcats struggled on offense at the start of the game, garnering just six first downs and one score at the end of the first quarter. That was before sophomore running back Ka’Deem Carey scored two second quarter touchdowns and added 145 yards, which helped bring the Wildcats back to a 31-28 halftime deficit.

One major storyline heading into the game was the battle at running back, where Carey and Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferon were first and second on the national rushing leaderboard, respectively.

Jefferson finished with eight more yards in the game, with 180 on 34 carries, but Carey maintained his lead in the battle for the rushing title, finishing the season with 1,929 yards and a school record 23 touchdowns.

“That dude is a great player,” Carey said of Jefferson. “I’m happy I got to see him play. It was a great season. I had teammates that pushed me through. Without them I couldn’t have placed this far.”

Arizona finished the season with an 8-5 overall record in head coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season as head coach. Rodriguez has coached at major-conference programs across the country, but the New Mexico Bowl win ranks among his favorite.

“It’s the latest and the greatest so far,” Rodriguez said. “Certainly, I’ve had some games come down to that end. But to have everything, the defense making the stop, to the field goal, Matt leading the quick drive down there, getting the on-side kick, and then Matt leading down again. It just doesn’t happen very often.

“But the guys never quit. We hung in there just enough to win it.”

Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, though, they didn’t make the comeback that mattered most.

Down 84-80 with less than two minutes remaining in overtime, the Bulldogs hit two-straight 3-pointers to take the lead for good, as they knocked off the No. 1 Hoosiers 88-86 Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the Close the Gap Crossroads Classic.

Butler jumped out to an early lead in the first half, ahead 9-5, but the Hoosiers stormed back on the heels of junior guard Victor Oladipo.

A run that began with two free throws from Oladipo, he would go on to dish in two layups along with one of his signature fastbreak dunks that brought the crowd to its feet. The junior scored eight of IU’s 10 points in a run that put the Hoosiers ahead 15-12 with 11:04 left in the half.

With that run, Oladipo finished the half with 10 points to lead IU with 4-of-6 shooting from the field as the Hoosiers went into the locker room up 37-33.

And early in the second half, it looked as though the Hoosiers would have ample opportunity to stretch that lead after Butler committed six fouls in the first 4:03 to put the Hoosiers in the bonus for the remainder of the game.

But from there, the tables turned.

IU went cold from the field, going 5:18 without a bucket as the Bulldogs pulled ahead with the help of a 16-2 run to take the lead 66-59.

During this span, the Hoosiers allowed Butler to hit three 3-pointers, and IU Coach Tom Crean said his team’s poor perimeter defense allowed Butler to creep its way back.

“We cost ourselves at the end of the game defensively, and they made the plays and, they get the credit for that,” Crean said. “But we made the mistakes that got them there.”

Sophomore guard Remy Abell ended the drought with 3:42 left in the game to pull the Hoosiers back within four, but with four-straight points from Butler’s two big men Roosevelt Jones and Andrew Smith, the Bulldogs were ahead by seven and seemingly in control.

The pair, though would both foul out in the next minute, and from there on, Crean put his players into a full court press that he said helped reenergize the Hoosiers to work themselves back into the game.

“We didn’t waiver, and we felt like we could get up and pressure these guys,” Crean said. “We saw things that we felt we could really pressure them on, and it put us in the position and made us very aggressive.”

But even as the Hoosiers clawed their way back, freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell fell victim to the fast pace and urgency of IU’s offense. With 49 seconds left off a 3-point miss from senior guard Jordan Hulls, the ball bounced towards Ferell, but he fumbled it off his feet out of bounds.

Crean said, though, that he wasn’t worried about the mentality of his starting freshman guard, saying he’s always been a “next play guy.”

So Crean drew up IU’s final possession with Ferrell as an option to take the final shot, and with just six seconds left, Ferrell’s 3-pointer fell through the net and pushed the game into overtime to cap IU’s comeback.

The momentum seemed to follow the Hoosiers into the extra period, as they took a four-point lead with just over two minutes left, but Butler pulled off a few late threes of their own to steal the win from the top-ranked team in the country.

Oladipo and sophomore forward Cody Zeller led the five Hoosiers in double-figures with 18 points each as Oladipo excelled from the floor, shooting 7-of-10. Zeller was Butler’s most popular target to foul, shooting 14 shots from the line, and after missing three early, he finished 10-of-14 from the charity stripe.

Ferrell grabbed eight rebounds to lead the team to go along with his late 3-pointer, but his six turnovers highlighted one of Crean’s main points after the game.

He said his squad just didn’t have what it took to beat a determined Butler team.

“We just didn’t play well enough to win, we just didn’t,” Crean said.

“We are writing to inform you today that Marquette University, along with six other colleges and universities, has made a decision to end our association with the Big East Conference,” the pair wrote.

Joining Marquette in the split, about which rumors had been swirling for weeks, are the six other Catholic schools in the Big East that don’t play Division I FBS football. Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Providence, Seton Hall and DePaul will leave with Marquette in the hopes of forming “a premier athletics conference centered on elite-level basketball,” according to the email

“This move will allow us to enhance the elite status of our men’s basketball program, which we were not willing to compromise amid the shifting landscape of intercollegiate athletics,” the email read. “It also allows us to develop new opportunities for student athletes in all 16 of our competitive athletic programs.”

Pilarz and Williams also provided insight into the university’s decision-making process.

“Over the past 15 months, the seven presidents and athletic directors of the universities previously named have been in a thoughtful dialogue to ensure we jointly solidify our vision and commitment to compete at the absolute highest levels of athletic excellence for many years to come,” they wrote.

According to the email, the conversations about a move “became more urgent and gained momentum” after Louisville and Rutgers announced their departures a few weeks ago.

The strategic locations of the six other schools joining the Golden Eagles contributed to the decision as well. In addition to Milwaukee, the Washington (Georgetown), New York (St. John’s) and Philadelphia (Villanova) markets “will provide an infrastructure needed to obtain the highest levels of success,” Pilarz and Williams wrote.

Last Sunday, representatives from the seven departing schools met with Big East commissioner Mike Aresco to discuss their long term future in the conference. On Thursday, the seven schools voted to leave the conference, according to several reports.

Director of athletics Larry Williams addressed the media following Marquette men’s basketball’s 71-51 victory over Savannah State Saturday, which marked win No. 1500 for the program.

“We couldn’t be more excited as administrators about the future of Marquette,” Williams said.

Irish coach Brian Kelly has seen it all at Notre Dame since he was hired almost exactly three years ago. But through it all, he’s stuck with one thing: The Process.

The Process has taken Notre Dame from the depths of mediocrity to the pinnacle of college football. And The Process is a very simple plan to do one thing: Win.

“I think it’s just being committed to winning. You know, you can’t win unless you eradicate all the things that go against it, and that is the process,” Kelly said Oct. 2. “It’s looking at all of the things that go into winning. … There are so many factors that you have to concentrate on and the details on a day-to-day basis that goes to winning.

“That’s what I think people mean when they talk about the process. Making sure you have your hand [on] those things that go directly to win it. Most of the time it’s eradicating those things that go to not winning more than anything else. So I think that’s the process.”

When Kelly first met with the media after he was officially announced as Notre Dame’s 29th head coach, he never once mentioned The Process — not by that name, at least. Yet from the very beginning of his tenure, he set about putting The Process into place.

The Hiring
The Process brought Kelly to Notre Dame. When Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick announced his decision to hire Kelly, he said as much, if not in so many words.

“At every step along the way, it kept taking me back to the same place. It kept taking me back to the conclusion that Brian Kelly was the right person to lead this program,” Swarbrick said during Kelly’s introductory press conference. “He has won at every level with every kind of team. He is a winner. And he’s a winner that at every stop along the way has done by doing it the right way.

“He was the right man at the right time for Notre Dame. And we are very fortunate to have him lead our program.”

Before his move to Notre Dame in 2010, Kelly already had a long track record of building winning programs, from Division II Grand Valley State to Central Michigan to Cincinnati. He described the Notre Dame program, with all of its unique opportunities and challenges, as a new task in many ways — but he said he would stick to his tried-and-true formula: The Process.

“First, this one is totally different than any of the other jobs that I’ve had. It’s unique in every facet,” he said on the first day of fall camp in 2010. “But the one consistency here are the players. The players are the same in terms of what they want to achieve under my leadership, and that is they want to be successful. So we’ve got the same thing we had at Cincinnati. We’ve got a bunch of kids that want to win. Now, we’re going to do the same things that we did. This job is different, but we’re going to do the same things behind the scenes we did everywhere along the way.”

His priority for installing The Process was simple.

“Well, the first thing is you’ve got to stop losing,” Kelly said in August 2010. “All the things that detract you from winning, you know, how do you live your life? … So I look for all those things that can keep you from winning because I know how to win and I know what the things are that needed to be put in place here.

“To me, that’s how you win. It’s not just about what the scoreboard says; it’s about how you go about doing your job seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”

2010: Installation
From the first day of spring practice in 2010, Kelly emphasized The Process would be key to molding the Irish to his vision.

“We don’t have five years to put this thing together. We’ve got to do it right away,” he said March 26, 2010. “We give them some very basic parameters to start with. If they stick to those basic parameters, we can move them quickly through the process.”

By the time mid-August rolled around, Kelly said he had already noticed a change in his players.

“All of the players have done exactly what we’ve asked them to do,” he said on Media Day. “They knew there had to be a sense of urgency relative to their preparation. They were sick and tired of being sick and tired, too. They were 6-6. They felt that walking around campus. We got that buy-in from our guys immediately. Really what it’s been about is just a paradigm shift [of] different leadership styles.”

Although the groundwork had been laid during the previous offseason, it looked like the same old Irish during the first half of 2010. Mired by a three-game losing streak, capped by a 37-14 loss at home to Stanford, Notre Dame simply wasn’t physical enough to compete with elite teams like the Cardinal.

“[The players are] going to be back next week and they’re going to strap it back up and they’re going to fight and play as hard as they can,” said Kelly of continuing to build a physical mentality. “We’re going to build this program to where it needs to be.

“There’s going to be success down the road for them if they stay with it, and I’m certain that they will.”

The Irish then won three consecutive games, but the short-term outlook hardly remained rosy with a blowout loss to Navy and a home defeat to lowly Tulsa to fall to 4-5. Kelly was heavily criticized for trying for a touchdown with freshman quarterback Tommy Rees when a field goal from David Ruffer (18-for-18 in his career at that point) would have given the Irish a win.

Kelly, though, stuck behind his vision and decision-making.

“Keep in mind, you better get used to it, because that’s the way we’re playing,” he said. “To me this is how we play. We’re going to play aggressive. We’re going to play smart.”

Few could have foreseen it at the time, but the Tulsa loss marked the final defeat of the season for the Irish. In need of two wins in the final three games to become bowl-eligible, Notre Dame upset No. 14 Utah at home, beat Army at Yankee Stadium and concluded the regular season with a 20-16 win over USC, the program’s first win over the Trojans since 2001. A month later, Kelly became the first Irish coach to win a bowl game in his first season when Notre Dame dominated Miami 33-17 at the Sun Bowl.

With the 4-0 finish, the Irish used the momentum to finish the recruiting season with a bang, earning commitments from three four- or five-star defensive players in the final month of recruiting.

The Process was beginning to take hold.

2011: Sticking with it
All the positive momentum garnered from the end of Kelly’s inaugural season seemed to vanish in a thundercloud in the 2011 home opener. Between two weather delays, Notre Dame’s BCS hopes received a reality check in the season opener as South Florida topped the Irish 23-20.

Outside of the loss, the biggest story was Kelly’s handling of the quarterback situation, a theme that would persist throughout the season. Senior starting quarterback Dayne Crist was pulled at halftime with the Irish losing 16-0, and the job was Rees’ the remainder of the season.

“You can’t start winning until you stop losing, and the things that we did today out there obviously go to the heart of how you lose football games,” said Kelly of his team’s error-laden performance. “You lose football games because you turn the ball over. You lose football games because you miss field goals. You lose the football game because you have four personal foul penalties. The list is long.”

For three quarters of the following week’s contest at Michigan — the first-ever night game at the Big House — Notre Dame played its best football to date under Kelly. The offense clicked, the defense held Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson in check and it looked like the season-opener was more an aberration than foreshadowing.

However, the Irish suffered a complete meltdown in the fourth quarter, surrendering 28 points in the stanza, the final seven of which transpired with two seconds remaining in the game.

For Kelly and the Irish, it was back to the drawing board and a commitment to trusting The Process.

“We’re shaping our team every single day,” Kelly said the day after the Michigan loss and 0-2 start. “Again, there are so many details to that. All you guys care about — and I understand that, and our fans — is that it equals wins, and we’re not doing that for them. I understand the frustration.

“But we’re building it the right way. We’ll get them there. We’re not there yet. I know this journey all too well. I’ve been on it before. It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. It’s all those things. We’ll break through. There’s too many good things happening out there for us not to break through.”

The Irish sparked a four-game winning streak the following week with a 31-13 beat down of No. 15 Michigan State. It wasn’t a perfect contest, but it was the most convincing sign The Process was working and Kelly’s squad was on the rise in the national outlook.

“I know one thing is that they weren’t lacking confidence, but sooner or later you gotta get paid,” Kelly said. “You gotta be validated in what you do. And so it was a big win for us.”

Heading into the USC game with a four-game winning streak, the Trojans hampered by NCAA sanctions and the 2010 win at the Los Angeles Coliseum, it appeared the rivalry might be shifting in Notre Dame’s favor. USC emphatically put those thoughts to rest with a 31-17 victory in Notre Dame’s first home night game since 1990.

The following Thursday, Kelly created a controversy regarding players he recruited and ones Weis had recruited.

“You can see the players that I recruited here. You know who they are,” Kelly said. “We’ve had one class of recruiting, kids that I’ve had my hand on. The other guys here are coming along, but it’s a process. It can’t happen overnight. They’re getting there. They’re making good progress.”

A Twitter firestorm erupted as some players rushed to social media to let out their frustration. (Irish linebacker Manti Te’o tweeted, “Playin for my bros and that’s it!!!!”)

After Kelly apologized to the team, the Irish recorded a four-game winning streak for the second time in 2011. However, the Irish were no match physically for an elite Stanford squad in the regular-season finale; in the Champs Sports Bowl, Notre Dame blew a 14-0 second-half deficit and lost 18-14 to Florida State to finish 8-5 for the second consecutive season.

The Process was tested, and so was the team’s resolve. A quarterback battle ensued. A mediocre recruiting class enrolled. Two players transferred, including defensive end Aaron Lynch, who dazzled during his freshman season with five and a half sacks.

“The challenges are great here,” Kelly said. “If your head and heart is not in it, you just can’t be successful. Aaron and I talked about it and mutually agreed that the best decision for him is to leave the football team.

“I’ve been in it 25 years — people are going to quit all the time. It happens. It’s part of the process. … Why is it newsworthy? Because [Lynch] is a really good player.”

While Lynch and cornerback Tee Shepard left and a class of new players signed, the most important recruiting pitch Kelly had to make was to Te’o and tight end Tyler Eifert to return for their senior seasons.

Trusting The Process, both did so.

2012: Proof
The Process guided Kelly as he prepared for a pivotal third year with a schedule harder than any other in the nation.

“Year one, it’s the typical learn the names of the players, begin to implement your schemes; year two, try to develop that depth in the units; and I think for me in year three it’s a comfortable feeling that I know my football team very well going into year three,” he said at the beginning of spring practice.

Kelly said The Process was more about preparing his team for the grueling slate mentally and physically.

“One part of the challenge to our football team is to get all of our players to play at a championship level on a consistent basis,” he said Sept. 11. “I think you build toughness in so many ways before you get to the season, and then when you get to the season you look to see it come together. … I think we are developing it, and I think it’s something that we continue to talk about every single day.”

After reeling off four wins to start the 2012 campaign, Kelly said The Process was finally starting to show results.

“Our guys have been committed to the process. It’s painstakingly slow, sometimes it’s quicker. But they’ve been committed to the process,” he said. “It’s taking that and translating it to Saturdays. And this group is translating it to Saturdays, at least for the first four weeks.

“But they’ve done a nice job of preparing and doing the things we’ve asked them to do.  We think we’re close to being consistent in that approach.”

Part of the Process-based approach involved keeping the Irish focused on the game ahead — with the grind of week-in, week-out competition, a single glance at the final goal could mean the season would be derailed. When his squad improved to 5-0 and a No. 7 national ranking, Kelly had to make it clear to his players that attention to detail mattered more than ever, especially with a titanic home date with Stanford looming days ahead.

“We don’t talk from that level from 30,000 feet because it doesn’t do us any good. All we can focus on is what we can control on a day-to-day basis,” he said before the matchup with the Cardinal. “Among us, it’s about today and what we do today.”

Yet with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in South Bend for the first time in seven years and hype building around Notre Dame’s rise in the polls, The Process was beginning to deliver results that would only draw more attention to the big picture.

“I’ve worked this plan for a number of years. I’ve had great success with it,” Kelly said. “If [the players] choose to continue to follow it they’re going to continue to have success. It’s the trust element of staying focused on what we can handle and what we need to handle and we will be fine.”

If the players didn’t embrace it, The Process would consist only of words from the head coach, and they would not translate to the field.

“I’ve always felt that teams in November have a distinct advantage if they’re enjoying the process, if they really come over here and feel good about practice,” Kelly said before facing Oklahoma. “I think you really have to enjoy the process and enjoy winning in particular.

“I’ve had teams that have really enjoyed the process. And this group does.”

The Process, which had been in place since Kelly’s arrival, led the then-No. 5 Irish to a dominating 30-13 victory over the then-No. 8 Sooners, a win a long time in the making.

“I think it’s a process of not just this year,” Kelly said after the win. “These wins happen over periods of time, not just one-year cycles. This has been a group that has had to take some lumps and learn along the way. It’s got great leadership. I think it’s a cumulative effect that this football team is now positioning itself to win these kinds of games because of what they’ve gone through the last two years.”

As his team continued to win games and rise up the rankings, with a shot at the national crown becoming ever more tangible, Kelly said he could feel The Process had firmly taken root in his program.

“It’s a process, that when you’re so involved in it that you don’t know there is a particular day, but you do know that things are being done the way you want them on a day‑to‑day basis. You sense and feel it,” he said Nov. 13. “I don’t know that there was one particular day. I think the last couple years our players really understood preparation. They understood how to prepare. They were learning how to play the game.

“I think we’ve learned how to play the game on Saturdays a lot better over the last year and a half.”

And when his team finally lit up the sign atop Grace Hall, needing only to vanquish rival USC to earn a trip to the BCS National Championship Game, Kelly emphasized The Process once more.

“We’re operating on, ‘You better have a good day today in practice because you just watched film, and we saw the things you did wrong yesterday,’ he said Nov. 20 before the Irish traveled to Los Angeles. “We keep them away from the big picture, because they don’t see it that way. They don’t come to work that way on a day-to-day basis.”

Finally, in the aftermath of a raucous celebration in the Los Angeles Coliseum, Notre Dame’s ticket to Miami punched, Kelly said The Process had been vindicated.

“Here’s what I know: We set out this season to build our program and get it back into the national discussion when you’re talking about championship programs, and we’re in that discussion,” he said.

The Process brought the Irish back to the top.

2013 and beyond
Even with tangible proof of the validity of The Process, don’t expect Kelly to abandon the message, regardless of the result of the BCS National Championship Game.

“When you go in that locker room and you’re around the guys I’m around, you’re not surprised because what they’ve done, the commitment they’ve made, they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do,” said Kelly after the season-concluding win at USC. “Everything. So it doesn’t surprise me anymore because of the guys that we’re around.”

Twenty-two high school prospects have committed to Notre Dame so far in the 2013 recruiting cycle, good enough for a No. 2 ranking nationally on Rivals.com.

Kelly will continue to stress defense on the recruiting trail and in the locker room, and offensively the next step for the Irish is to build around sophomore quarterback Everett Golson.

Former Irish coach Ara Parseghian, who led the program to national championships in 1966 and 1973, said he has witnessed The Process while observing the program.

“He’s done a good job recruiting, he’s well organized,” Parseghian said. “He can motivate. I’ve gone out to practice a few times and talked to him and what he’s been able to do — and this is important for coaches — is place the personnel where they best function for the team.

“He would just spend so many hours between the end of one game and the beginning of the next. Time is at a premium, so any wasted period wasted on something not important is thrown right out the window. I think he does a great job of that.”

Kelly’s next challenge is to sustain the program’s success on a consistent basis. Past coaches have noted the stress of working long-term at Notre Dame, even when they are successful. If Kelly can stick to The Process, there’s no telling how long he might last.

We’re underestimating this award. We’ve spent too much time looking at this shortsightedly. Imagine the recruiting boost, we say. Imagine the national championships and program revenue and national branding. Imagine the t-shirts. Just imagine. First we need to come to terms with what the Heisman trophy means.

“Johnny Heisman.” “Heismanziel.” We’ve heard all the nicknames. Here’s the good news, Aggies: you can’t oversell that, because no matter how big a conception you have in your mind of the Heisman, it’s always going to be bigger than that.

Find a computer and look at a list of all the former Heisman winners. Because of the flaws in the bowl system, the fallibility in the polls and the ambiguity of the national championship, the Heisman trophy is the most iconic symbol of college football. It’s the purest thing in the purest incarnation of football. It would be hard to say that a Heisman trophy is more important than a national championship, but it’s certainly more permanent, more recognizable. Words like “fraternity,” “club” and “brotherhood” surround the group of Heisman winners. They genuinely seem to care about the sanctity of their roll call. Johnny will always be a part of that.

John David Crow’s Heisman came well before the era of around-the-clock jabber from the sports punditry, so he’s had more buzz surrounding him in the past weeks than when he won the Heisman trophy in 1957. For more than half a century, he was the first and only Aggie to do so. Current students don’t know Crow. How could they? I respect his accomplishments, but the usual things bother me. It was a different mode of football in those days, and it always felt a little sad that our University had to scrounge so far back into the narrative of A&M football to find something worth marketing. Crow has his face all over spirit videos and Kyle Field banners, and he should.

So what does that say about Johnny? Johnny’s face isn’t displayed most prominently in College Station at the moment. In Times Square, the most noticeable face among the lights, signs and passersby is that of a small town kid from Kerrville Tivy High School. New York is a fast city; they’ll forget about Johnny. But at A&M, we’re looking at fifty-plus years of Johnny Football. He has three more years on the field, sure, assuming all the things football fans are usually wrong in assuming. He has the rest of his life as the face of A&M.

Because that’s what he is. He’s not just the most popular entity within the most popular institution of A&M. He’s the University. He’s the access point to A&M for everyone outside the College Station zip code. It’s almost hilarious how much work the University marketing guys have done, tossing around things like traditions and the SEC logo, only to have Johnny “Scooby-Heisman-Football” Manziel fall into their laps.

I expect a Manziel statue. I expect the quote from his speech about the 12th Man in every spirit video for the next century. I expect every non-Aggie we know to hate us for how many highlight videos we watch and re-watch and I expect us not to care.

He ended his acceptance speech with a “Gig ‘Em.” For all the Aggies who have flashed a thumbs-up over the years, Johnny’s might have been the most important. Down the line, Manziel will lead the next great Aggie up the steps before the Heisman is awarded, just as Crow did for him.

Baylor officials reported this week that Robert Griffin III’s 2011 Heisman nod was worth $250 million to the school. It seems logical that A&M will reap similar benefits. But for the 12th Man, Saturday night was worth a whole lot more.

The redshirt freshman beat out Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o and Kansas State’s Collin Klein, who finished second and third, respectively, for the nation’s most prestigious individual award. Manziel garnered 474 first place votes, defeating Te’o by a surprising 323-point margin on the final ballot.

In a Heisman race that was defined by untraditional candidates, “Johnny Football” found himself breaking the class barrier while, at the same time, preventing a purely defensive athlete in Te’o from claiming the recognition.

“I have been dreaming about this since I was a kid, running around the backyard pretending I was Doug Flutie, throwing Hail Marys to my dad,” Manziel said following the announcement. “I wish my whole team could be up here with me.”

Leading the Aggies in their inaugural season with the Southeastern Conference, Manziel was able to turn some heads with his eye-popping statistics.

In a league dominated by defensive prowess, the redshirt freshman racked up 4,600 yards of total offense in 12 games, surpassing the SEC record set by Heisman winner and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton who generated 4,327 yards through 14 games in his 2010 national title campaign.

Furthermore, Manziel became the first freshman and only fifth player in FBS history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 in the same season.

Guiding A&M to an unprecedented 10-2 season in the their new conference, Manziel compiled impressive victories over then-top ranked Alabama, Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech. In defeating the Crimson Tide at Tuscaloosa, the young quarterback rocketed himself into the Heisman conversation.

Despite his incredible compilation of accomplishments, however, Manziel was still able to remain humble upon receiving the award.

“Leadership, respect and putting others first – it’s what the 12th Man is all about,” Manziel continued. “I believe that the 12th Man is one of the greatest traditions in all of college football – forty thousand students standing not as fans, but as members of our team.

“To the 12th Man, to Texas A&M, Kerrville, Texas and Aggies everywhere, this Heisman Trophy’s for you.”

Manziel, though, wasn’t the only Aggie to secure his place in history this year.

At the college football awards ceremony Thursday night, junior offensive tackle Luke Joeckel became the first player from Texas A&M to win the Outland Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Additionally, the redshirt freshman quarterback was able to start his hardware collection on Thursday, earning the Davey O’Brien Award, bestowed each year to the country’s top quarterback.

On a celebratory note, Texas A&M has purchased the latest Heisman winner a billboard in the heart of New York City – Times Square. Similar full-page ads will run in Monday’s editions of the New York Times and USA Today, as well as multiple other national and regional publications, in an effort to push to growing A&M brand.

“With our move to the SEC, we are building a national brand for Texas A&M,” Jason Cook, the Aggies’ vice president for marketing and communications, said. “Johnny (Manziel) winning the Heisman certainly accelerates our efforts.”

With the young Heisman winner at the helm, Texas A&M will conclude their 10-2 campaign at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas against former Big 12 rival Oklahoma.

After reports of talks, interviews and negotiations, news that Western Kentucky coach — and Bradenton Manatee High School product — Willie Taggart will be returning to his home state broke on Friday evening.

Though USF has not released an official statement yet, Taggart reportedly told Western Kentucky players after practice on Friday afternoon that he would be coaching at USF. The Hilltoppers are preparing to play in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl against Central Michigan on Dec. 26, and it is not known whether Taggart will coach that game.

The 38-year-old Palmetto, Fla. native, who led Western Kentucky to its first ever bowl game this season, was one of the leading names after Holtz was fired, mainly because of his local ties and up-and-coming status in the college landscape.

Taggart earned local support earlier in the week when ESPN sportscaster Dick Vitale, a Tampa native, voiced his support for Taggart via Twitter and current Bradenton Manatee High coach Joe Kinnan, who coached Taggart for four years, also publicly endorsed him.

Woolard announced a coaching search had begun last Sunday. When Holtz was hired in 2010, his selection was announced six days after former coach Jim Leavitt had been fired.

Taggart was running backs coach for then-Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh form 2007-2009 and coached Toby Gerhart when the running back was invited to New York and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.

It is unclear whether Taggart will bring his entire staff or will keep some of the current staff at USF. An official announcement is expected soon.

The Defense of Marriage Act, enacted in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, is famous for its law in regarding that the marriage of same-sex couples in one state does not have to be honored in another state. Under the Defense of Marriage Act, a marriage in the state of Iowa between a same-sex couple does not mean the marriage will be honored in states that choose not to recognize same-sex marriage.

Currently, there are nine states that allow same-sex marriage in addition to the District of Columbia. Likewise, there are 31 states that have constitutional amendments in their state constitutions banning same-sex marriage.

Proposition 8 was the people of California’s attempt to overturn the California Supreme Court’s ruling on the banning of gay marriage in the state. Passed during the November 2008 elections, California passed Proposition 8 into their state constitution with a vote of 52.24 percent, a little over 7 million votes.

Both Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 will be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court for its constitutionality. The U.S. Supreme Court’s session is between October and June. So it is believed that the U.S. Supreme Court will make the decision by the end of the session in June after hearing oral arguments, which are predicted to begin in March.

Dirk Deam, senior lecturer in political science, said that if the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the federal court that oversees the state of California in addition to eight other states, then same-sex marriage will be legal in all 50 states as federal law.

Each decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court is seen as constitutional law; thus, if the U.S. Supreme Court finds the ban of same-sex marriage unconstitutional, then the decision is seen as federal law.

If the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn the ban of same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, then the decision will affect all 50 states because the U.S. Constitution defines the Supreme Court’s decision as the “supreme law of the land” as stated in Section 4, Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.

However, if the U.S. Supreme Court does not rule the Defense of Marriage Act or Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, then the decision of same-sex marriage will be left up to the states to decide.

Deam explained that the U.S. Supreme Court can look at the case by viewing homosexuals as a suspect class, a group of people who have been traditionally discriminated against, or by invoking the right to privacy, marriage and procreation.

If the U.S. Supreme Court treats homosexuals as a group of people who have been discriminated against by law, then the court will treat the case with special consideration. Deam stated that sexual preference has not traditionally been considered a suspect class, but some states, such as Iowa, have treated homosexuals as a suspect class. The classical example of a suspect class is race and ethnicity.

One of the most famous cases that considers privacy as a fundamental right is Roe v. Wade (1973), which ruled abortion as being the privacy issue of a woman. Extended to same-sex marriage, the argument would be that the issue of marriage is private between the parties wishing to be married.

“In many ways, I do see this compared this to the 1967 supreme court case of Loving v. Virginia in which the Supreme Court struck down laws in a number of Southern states outlawing sexual relationships between people of different races,” said Warren Blumenfeld, associate professor of the School of Education, who teaches queer studies classes at Iowa State. “It hopefully will end the debate on whether or not same-sex couples will have the same rights as different-sex couples to marry.”

Blumenfeld was grading papers for his multicultural class when he said his phone and email blew up with news of the U.S. Supreme Court reviewing the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8. Blumenfeld said he hopes that the case will give recognition and publicity to gay rights and issues.

A common misconception about same-sex marriage is that laws regarding same-sex marriage occur because of the “right” of same-sex couples to be married. The 14th Amendment is often cited as the reason why some state constitutions overturn the ban of same-sax marriage as unconstitutional marriage.

The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment states that the rights of one group of people cannot be denied the same rights and privileges of another group. Thus, same-sex marriage is not legalized due to a person’s right to be married to someone of the same sex, but from it being unconstitutional to ban the marriage of same-sex couples according to some state constitutions.

Blumenfeld said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I believe even some of the more conservative justices on the Supreme Court understand and follow the Constitution,” Blumenfeld said. “Therefore, I believe they as well will vote for marriage equality.”

Family Leader, an organization with a platform opposing same-sex marriage, has been contacted for comment but could not be reached.

As his phone erupted with text messages and voicemails in the hours after news broke that Bielema was taking the new job with the Razorbacks, he first ignored several calls from a Green Bay area code. The persistent caller was Taylor, a fifth-year senior linebacker.

“Mike told me he and the captains and the leaders of the team have discussed the fact that they would like me to coach them in the Rose Bowl,” Alvarez said. “I told him I would be honored to coach them and I wanted them to understand that if I was going to coach, we weren’t going to screw around, we would go out there to win.”

At a press conference Thursday morning, Alvarez confirmed earlier reports that he will serve as the head coach for the Badgers against the Stanford Cardinal at the 99th Rose Bowl but said it is only a special, single-game commitment. Alvarez, whose last game as UW head coach was a win over Auburn in the 2006 Capital One Bowl, is 3-0 in Pasadena. Ironically, his last win at the Rose Bowl came in 2000 against the same opponent — Stanford.

The Wisconsin Athletic Director also stated that all assistant coaches on the team are staying with the team at least through the Rose Bowl.

Alvarez said he was very surprised by Bielema’s decision to leave and that Arkansas did not ask for permission to interview the Wisconsin head coach. The Wisconsin athletic director said he returned from breakfast Tuesday morning in New York — where he was being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame — to a message from Bielema saying he need to talk with his former mentor.

It was there that the 42-year-old UW head coach informed his athletic director that he was leaving for Fayetteville.

“I said you’re not telling me you’re going to visit with the Arkansas people, you’ve already taken the job,” Alvarez said. “And the answer was ‘yes.’”

Alvarez said he already has a short-list of potential candidates and has reached out to some of them, but will not start interviews until after the weekend. Though not ruling out those who have only worked as assistants, Alvarez said he will first consider those with head coaching experience.

“There’s been a lot of interest shown in the position because it’s a great job, it’s on solid footing, new facilities and a very good nucleus coming back,” he said.

Alvarez added that former Badgers’ offensive coordinator and current Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst — an early front-runner for the vacant head coaching spot — will remain with the Panthers.

“I asked some very close friends of mine to help get Paul that job and I think Paul’s already come out and said he’s committed to Pitt and I think he should be committed to Pitt,” Alvarez said. “I wouldn’t think it would be right for him to leave after one year, I wouldn’t feel right and I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to hire him back after I asked someone to do me a favor and help him get that job.

“Paul is going to stay at Pitt.”

Alvarez will handle Wisconsin’s upcoming recruiting weekend and said he will preach a simple message to recruits: that Badger football will still chug along behind a pro-style rushing attack and that the changing of the guard does not mean the program will experience a serious makeover.

“Bret used my gameplan to win,” Alvarez said. “The coach that I will hire will be someone that will have to understand who we are (and) how we go about our business.”

Many questioned if Alvarez’s returns to the sideline would be more symbolic than anything, and he said he will “manage the game” while relying on the game-planning of his coordinators.

The man often credited with turning Wisconsin football into a top Big Ten program emphasized several times that he did this for the players and that he does not want the attention to fall on him. But as a Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee coaching his first team in Pasadena in 12 years, Alvarez will have a hard time staying out of pregame headlines.

Only this time he brings in a 7-5 Wisconsin team (the first five-loss team to ever appear in a Rose Bowl) that has faced harsh criticism for being the Big Ten’s lone representative in the four BCS bowls.

“I’ve been through that before where we were the worst team ever to be represented at the Rose Bowl,” Alvarez said, a nod to an infamous remark by ESPN analyst Craig James. “So I bring history with that and I’m accustomed to answering those questions.

“The best comeback was I know there’s at least one team worse than us.”

A press conference was held yesterday to introduce the former Temple University head coach, who will take over for Frank Spaziani less than two weeks after the former coach was fired.

“The mantra of Boston College is ‘Ever to Excel,’” said Athletic Director Brad Bates. “Today we celebrate a leader who thrives in the context of daily striving for excellence.”
Addazio was signed to a six-year contract. He most recently led the Owls to a 9-4 record and their first bowl win in 32 years during his first season as a head coach in 2011. Temple then moved to the Big East from the Mid-American Conference last year, and went 4-7. Addazio also served under head coach Urban Meyer at the University of Florida, and won two national championships during his time with the Gators.

“I’m here for the long haul, and I’m here to win championships,” Addazio said. “And win championships with class and honor and develop young men on the football field and off the football field and in the classroom—men that are going to leave Boston College one day and are going to make a difference in society and this world we live in in a positive way.”
Addazio is from New England and remembers where he watched Doug Flutie’s pass to Gerard Phalen. He also was a four-year starter for Central Connecticut State University during the late ’70s, and he recalled driving up to BC with his friends at the end of every season to watch the Eagles play Holy Cross. He knew back then that he wanted to be a college football coach someday, and as he sat there watching the game, he told himself that one day he would like to bring his team out onto that field.

“My dream was to come to a university that was all about the family concept,” Addazio said. “I grew up in a strong family with strong faith, and I have an opportunity to now lead a football program within a tremendous family with a strong faith.”

Bates described the coaching search as thorough, meticulous, and deliberate. He was looking for someone who had a strong history of facilitating a family culture within a program, an inspiring passion for his students and the sports, and a pedigree of winning and building championship programs.

BC has gone two straight seasons without making a bowl game, and the team went just 2-10 this year.

“It’s time to turn the page,” Addazio said, “To come together and unite and all work together for the same goals.”

He announced that Ryan Day, formerly a wide receivers coach at BC and the offensive coordinator at Temple last season, will take over for Doug Martin as BC’s offensive coordinator. He will take time to evaluate the rest of the staff as he gets settled, but he is already infusing the program with his enthusiasm.

“When you press play on the video, what I’ll expect and what I’ll want you to see is a team that plays with energy and passion and a love of the game and is excited,” he said. “A team that plays hard. A team that you can tell loves the game of football and treats it as a privilege and not as a right.”

The players met the coach for the first time during a team meeting before Addazio’s introductory press conference.

“We’re not playing in a bowl game,” he said. “We’re hungry and we’re disappointed. I talked to the team before I came in here. I said to the team, ‘You sit in that chair and I hope there’s a disappointment. I hope it hurts. I hope there’s a hunger and I hope there’s a drive. I hope that you understand that you came to Boston College to win championships, and I hope that fuels as we start this offseason workout program, because we’re all striving for success and we’re all competitors.’”

Addazio stressed the importance of his role off the field as well.

“I’m a teacher, and it’s very important to me to know that I can be a small piece of the development of a young man,” Addazio said. “The whole young man, not just the football piece.”

He also emphasized that BC is the perfect place for him.

“I want to be here and finish my career here,” he said. “This is where I want to be. I have a home up in Cape Cod. I’m in New England. I’m at the most wonderful place I could possibly be at, and I couldn’t be more clear about that.”

It will be nine months until Addazio coaches his first real game as an Eagle at USC to start the 2013 season, but his energy and his passion are already evident.

“I’m proud to be a Boston College Eagle, and I won’t let you down,” he said. “I’ve got drive and I’ve got energy. I’ve got a love and passion for what I do, for these student-athletes, and for Boston College.”

It streamed online and on local television stations for fans to watch as well.

Bret Bielema ended his seven-year term with the Wisconsin Badgers Tuesday, yet he did not break stride when addressing questions about his former team and his dedication to the Razorbacks.

“What today brings is an opportunity for me to stand in front of you and chase a dream,” Bielema said.

Bielema did not specify what the dream was, but expressed more than once that he wanted to be at a place where he could do something that had never been done before.

Living in a state with no professional sports teams and no other division one college programs makes Razorback fans a passionate group, and that is something that has Bielema excited to be here, he said.

“From this day forward we will do nothing but as players and coaches to try to give you every win you deserve,” Bielema said.

A large part of the battle in college football is recruiting quality athletes, and there was some concern from fans about Bielema’s ability to recruit in the South.

However, Bielema’s teams have featured multiple players out of south Florida and Texas. One of the things Bielema said he will emphasize in recruiting is putting a focus not on the player, but on the person.

“We’ll recruit uncommon men here,” Bielema said.

Since the hire was made, there has been speculation about what members of the current staff will be retained what new faces will be brought in.

Bielema said he will talk with each member of the current staff before making any kind of decision about who will be on the staff going forward. He did say that the administration at Arkansas will make it possible to hire a top notch staff.

“The staff that I’m going to assemble is going to be second to none,” Bielema said.

Bielema said he left a great place, but the opportunity to coach in the Southeastern Conference, especially at Arkansas could not be passed up.

“There’s only one school I would have done it for,” Bielema said.

Prior to the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten earned nearly half a billion dollars from football revenue alone and profits somewhere around half of that. Yes, some of this goes to support other sports and supports Title IX-mandated women’s sports. The new TV deals stemming from the addition of Maryland and Rutgers are predicted to add some additional $200 million annually. Coaches make big bucks — Iowa’s football coach Kirk Ferentz is the highest-paid employee of the state of Iowa, commanding some $3.8 million annually. Minnesota’s own Jerry Kill makes at least $1.2 million a year. Announcers and TV networks profit. Vendors profit. Contractors are paid for the new facilities. All in all, college athletics is a high-dollar affair.

But where do the student-athletes fall in this scheme? Generously, a full-ride scholarship is in the ballpark (pun intended) of $50,000, covering tuition, room and board, books and health care. This figure omits the extra “gifts” players receive upon earning bowl berths. Of course, athletes are also prohibited from receiving fringe benefits from boosters, which at big-name schools can include big-ticket items like cars or money from selling jerseys. Violations have led to high-profile sanctions upon the biggest programs. Yes, such practices may not be completely ethical, but given the short end of the stick athletes get in the NCAA, it is hard to blame them for taking outside boosters up on their offers. Many students come from humble backgrounds and cannot even afford to fly family members to bowl or tournament games.

Recently, the NCAA decided to allow colleges to provide student-athletes with a pittance of an extra $2,000 stipend but quickly suspended the measure after backlash from institutions unwilling to commit the extra $1 million for athletes to pay for their families to travel to see them play. Student-athletes are also prohibited from earning more than that $2,000 working a part-time job. While, yes, receiving pay without working would be unethical, such a prohibition seems to only incentivize players to take advantage of those other offers given by boosters outside the NCAA’s ability to effectively monitor and control. Simply paying athletes a reasonable compensation for the services they provide in generating millions of dollars in profits for their university, which also fail to include the alumni donations brought in by exposure of the athletics programs that benefit the general student population, seems reasonable.

As the super-conferences align and the ever-increasing TV revenue deals continue to provide college athletics with expanded revenues, the time has come to abandon the antiquated and unfair idealism of clinging to amateurism. These institutions owe a lot to their athletes and should compensate them as such.

Auburn athletics held a press conference Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. that featured Malzahn along with other Auburn notables such as Jay Jacobs, Jay Gouge, Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan.

The new head coach and the others made it perfectly clear that Malzahn was hired for one reason: to bring integrity, success on and off the field, and championships to Auburn.

“It’s an honor that they chose me,” Malzahn said. “I don’t take that lightly. I will do everything in my power for the Auburn Tigers to be successful. Our players are going to be great examples for this university, on and off the field. They’re going to be men of character. That’s the first thing that I expect of them, and winning will take care of itself.”

Malzahn said he knows that winning will not just take care of itself, but pointed out that getting the players’ heads in the right place is the first step to the ultimate goal of winning.

This season, Auburn fans watched in misery as their team seemed inept on both sides of the football, so Malzahn spoke on what changes he intends to bring to the style of play.

“We will have a fast-paced offense. I believe in this day and time it’s a great advantage,” Malzahn said. “We will run the football, and that will be our staple. We are a run, play action team. We will have a defense that is attacking. These days, (with) these spread offenses and the things they do, you’ve got to have a multiple defense, and we will be attacking in all areas.”

Malzahn was selected by a committee consisting of Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, Jay Jacobs and Mac Crawford. Jacobs said that Malzahn was Auburn’s first choice and that the committee voted unanimously to hire the former offensive coordinator as the new head coach.

Consequently, Jacobs had nothing but the highest of praise for the new coach.

“We laid out three criteria,” Jacobs said. “One is who can win? He’s consistently done that everywhere he’s been. He won the national championship here as offensive coordinator. The other is we were looking for a person who can continue the high excellence of not only athletic but academic success of our football team … Thirdly, he’s a great ambassador for Auburn. He represents character, integrity, the same things that wrap the (Auburn) Creed up. That’s why he was a unanimous decision.”

Malzahn said he knows there is a lot of work to do, but that he is looking forward to doing it and ready to get Auburn back on track and winning football games.

“It will be fun for our fans, and we will get this thing turned around,” Malzahn said. “My goal for this is to … play championship football like Auburn expects.”

“I’ve only been here six weeks,” Bates said. “I’m looking for a partner who I can be joined at the hip with and really strive for excellence in Boston College athletics. [Addazio] is a key leader in this department.”

Bates interviewed Addazio on two separate occasions before making the hire official today. Addazio will be signed to a six-year contract, though the money was not disclosed.

“The process, as I’ve said all along – I wasn’t really strictly adhering to a timeline,” Bates told The Heights, just after he met with the team to announce the hire. “We had to make sure we got a perfect fit. The process was meticulous and deliberate enough that there’s no question in my mind we were able to accomplish that.”

Bates met with the media on Tuesday night to further discuss the hiring.

“I really believe that Steve Addazio is a great coach who is a great fit for Boston College right now,” Bates said.

Since he met with the players nine days ago and talked about what they wanted in a new head coach, Bates knew that he needed to hire a coach the players could build a strong relationship with.

“Everything in Steve’s background demonstrates that he’s going to create a family culture in the program that’s a team,” Bates said.

Secondly, the team wanted a coach who brought great passion to the locker room and the field, and Bates said he found exactly that in Addazio.

“You’ll see [Addazio] has incredible passion and energy,” Bates said. “He is one of the most energized, passionate people I’ve ever been around. His enthusiasm is contagious. Just sitting around him, you’re going to feel more inspired. So imagine that playing out in a coaching methodology.”

The third factor the team wanted in a coach was someone who was going to win, and Bates said that Addazio “certainly has a background in competitive success and winning.”

During the search process, Bates talked to NFL owners, NFL coaches, commissioners, college head coaches and assistant coaches, executive directors, and more. He reached out to those people he trusted in order to figure out if certain candidates would be a good fit at BC.

At the end of the 2012 season, multiple BC football players came out and said there was a lack of accountability on the team. While the players said the responsibility falls on them to change that, Bates believes that Addazio can help improve that attitude as well.

“He’s got a plan, he’ll be a disciplinarian,” Bates said. “He will be incredibly demanding on and off the field, but at the end of the day, the students are going to know he genuinely and sincerely cares about them.”

Bates told the players in a team meeting at 5 p.m. today, and wanted them to hear the announcement from him first.

“We wanted to make sure the players heard it from us,” Bates said. “We try to do everything we can to make sure they’re not hearing it secondhand. We tried to be as stealth as possible so that they’d hear it from us.”

Though he didn’t want to put words in their mouth, Bates said the players’ reactions “seemed to be a general level of excitement and enthusiasm.”

While the coaching carousel in college football is ongoing and unpredictable, Bates made it seem like he didn’t think Addazio would use BC as a stepping stone in his career.

“This is a guy who grew up in the Northeast and has dreamed of being at Boston College,” Bates said. “He is thrilled to be here and he’s already hitting the ground running. We bounced over a lot of things today in terms of what needs to be prepared and what he’s already getting into.

“Who can predict the future? Is any place a destination anymore? The landscape of college athletics is evolving so quickly, and there’s so many different variables that are involved in how people choose jobs and their longevity. I can’t predict the future completely. But here’s a guy who’s incredibly enthusiastic to be at Boston College.”

Bates also said that he was looking for a coach who would provide some stability in a program that has had a lot of attrition in recent history.

“Continuity is an incredible cohesive force in building a team,” Bates said. “And so having attrition is disruptive. This team has had a lot of disruption in terms of that continuity.”

Bates said that Addazio has been on his list of potential coaching candidates “for a number of years.”

Addazio compiled a record of 13-11 at Temple in his two years there—9-4 in 2011 (as a member of the MAC) and 4-7 in 2012 (as a member of the Big East). Prior to that, Addazio was the offensive coordinator at Florida in 2009 and 2010, and an assistant at various spots from 2005-2008. While at Florida, Addazio was part of a staff that won the BCS national championship in 2006 and 2008. He served as a mentor for the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow during that time.

Bates first got to know Addazio when he was at Florida, and has been watching and studying him since then. He also got to see Addazio firsthand when Temple faced Miami in a game during the 2011 season.

“I saw him firsthand two years ago because I was at Miami University and Temple was still in the MAC,” Bates said. “I had actually gotten to know him a few years ago when he was at Florida, and I have been really watching him since his work at Florida and [I have] been studying him. So that’s why he was on my shortlist to begin with.”

Former BC assistant coach Ryan Day worked under Addazio at Temple this year, and Bates said that while he didn’t talk to Day directly, he did get Day’s take secondhand.

“I talked to a lot of people, but not directly,” he said. “I didn’t want to do things … there are two ways of approaching it. You can have trusted colleagues make calls so there’s no direct communication, but people that you know and trust, you can call directly. I don’t know Ryan personally, so there was communication that was taking place, but it was secondhand.”

Regarding the current BC coaching staff, Bates said it is something that has yet to be decided in terms of who will stay and who will go.

“All of that’s undecided,” he said. “We’ve certainly had conversations, but nothing that would be definitive at this point. We’ve talked in general terms. He clearly has some ideas of what he wants to do, but he’s going to research the context. He’s going to visit with the team, he’s going to visit with the staff.

“This is a well-connected guy in the football community. He’s going to have an amazing collection of coaches that he can assemble. The key is going to be making sure that he gets a group that has diverse skill sets and experiences so that they complement one another.”

Speculation had surfaced this morning from outlets including ESPN that the three finalists were Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, Ball State head coach Pete Lambo, and the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. Addazio’s name had not come up as a candidate throughout the process, and in response to the supposed list of finalists, Bates said it was “interesting.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what the speculation was,” Bates said. “Steve was actually someone on my short list from the beginning. He’s got a tremendous reputation: people speak very highly of him. People that I respect in the industry have enormous regard for his talents and what he’s done in his coaching background.”

Addazio, 53, will be introduced in an official press conference at 3 p.m. tomorrow in the Yawkey Center at BC.

Despite only allowing 10.7 points per game this season, the Tide defense is widely regarded to have dropped off from the play of its unit in 2011. Alabama shut out LSU 21-0 in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, but lost highly-touted safety Mark Barron, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and linebackers Donta’ Hightower and Courtney Upshaw to the NFL. Alabama beat writer Chase Goodbread said the 2012 defense has not been quite as dominant as its predecessor.

“I don’t they’re as good a defense as they were a year ago. They’re not as good as last year,” said Goodbread, who covers the Tide for the Tuscaloosa News. “I think the strength is stopping the run, they were No. 1 in the country at stopping the run, but the passing defense isn’t what it was a year ago.”

Just as Notre Dame’s unit features a top-notch defensive coordinator in Bob Diaco, the Tide march to the beat of defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. Smart, who took home the 2009 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, is considered a leading candidate for many head coaching vacancies. This season Smart filled holes left by the departure of more than half of his 2011 starters and preserved the Tide’s defensive identity.

“Kirby Smart does a great job, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it he’s going to be a head coach pretty soon,” Goodbread said. “It might be this winter depending on what kind of offers he gets. He’s done a good job year-to-year pretty much, no matter what he’s had to work with.”

The defensive unit also works under the tutelage of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who comes from a defensive background. Saban played defensive back for Kent State in the early 1970s and served as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1994. Goodbread said Saban’s focus on the defensive backfield has helped first-team All-SEC junior cornerback Dee Milliner.

“[Saban works with the defense] every day,” Goodbread said. “Every practice, he’s there in the individual drills especially. He works exclusively with the secondary, you know he’s a former defensive back himself when he was a player and he spends a lot of time with the corners and safeties. He’s probably had more of an impact on [Milliner] and all the corners than just about anywhere else.”

Milliner, who played much of 2011 as a corner in nickel and dime packages, has emerged as a star on a defense that lost many stars coming into 2012. Goodbread said Milliner and junior linebacker C.J. Mosley will need to step up to stop Notre Dame in the national championship.

“Milliner has to have a good game for sure. He’s the best defensive back they’ve got,” Goodbread said. “[Junior linebacker] C.J. Mosley just got voted the MVP of the team by his teammates at the team banquet on Sunday night. He’s probably Alabama’s best overall defensive player, a good linebacker, was up for the Butkus Award.”

Against the nation’s top run defense, the Irish running back corps will face its biggest test of the season. Senior running back Theo Riddick, who led Notre Dame in rushing in 2012, said the Irish faced many tough defenses this year.

“I think we played a lot of good defenses. A lot of teams do a lot of different things so it’s kind of hard to pinpoint which defense is better than others,” Riddick said. “It all depends on the matchup. There’s too many teams.

“Stanford was really good. Pitt was really good. USC was really good. There were a lot of good defenses we faced this year.”

Riddick said the key to putting points on the board against the stellar Tide defense is protecting the football.

“[We have to] not turn the ball over,” he said. “With that great of team or any team actually, if you turn the ball over you lessen your chances to win.”

The Irish and Tide will clash with the national championship at stake on Jan. 7 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

For decades, this word — outstanding — has stood as the lone qualification of the sport’s most prestigious individual award, the Heisman Memorial Trophy. The cast of men who can, deservedly so, claim the recognition as their own are remembered and known as some of the most influential athletes to ever grace the sport.

For any current player, adding their name to the vaunted ranks of the Heisman Trophy winners stands as the ultimate goal — a way to cement oneself as a college football legend.

The award’s three finalists for the 2012 season were announced Monday evening, with Johnny Manziel leading the way, holding his own against the likes of Kansas State’s Collin Klein and Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o.

After leading the Aggies to an unprecedented 10-2 season in the program’s inaugural year with the Southeastern Conference, Johnny Football has emerged as the vanguard candidate for the Heisman. Despite his youth, the young quarterback has proven his worth through a slew of broken records and a pile-up of “video game” statistics.

Following two tough, early season home losses to top-ranked squads Florida and LSU, Manziel was able to engineer the year’s most notable upset when he led the Aggies over unbeaten Alabama, 29-24. In four excruciatingly long quarters, under the hostile lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium, Johnny Football dominated the future conference champions in what may be, arguably, A&M’s most momentous victory to date.

Statistically, the redshirt freshman finished the regular season with 4,600 yards of total offense through just 12 games, surpassing the SEC record set by Heisman winner and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton who generated 4,327 yards through 14 games in his 2010 national title campaign.

Manziel continued to add to his legacy as he secured 43 total touchdowns in the year with just eight interceptions.

On the setting-records front, Johnny Football stands as the first freshman and only the fifth player in FBS history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 in the same season. He also holds the SEC record for total offense in single-game with 576 yards, breaking the mark initially against Arkansas before resetting it in the shootout victory over Louisiana Tech.

When it comes down to the numbers, however, Manziel’s head coach, Kevin Sumlin, was able to say it best.

“You can put those numbers up against anybody that’s not only played this year, [but] who’s ever played the game,” Sumlin said. “For a single season, they speak for themselves.”

For the first time in years, however, a true Heisman front-runner has not revealed himself outright. Both Te’o, a linebacker from Notre Dame, and Klein, Kansas State’s quarterback sensation, have consistently found ways to remain in the conversation.

With both standing as seniors and considering a freshman has never won the Heisman, Manziel’s youth continues to be a negative factor with multiple “traditional” voters.

The redshirt freshman’s age, however, hasn’t been the only fallout on his resume.

With Klein steering the Wildcats to a Big 12 Championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, and Te’o heading up the undefeated Fighting Irish en route to Miami for the national title game, both Manziel’s opponents have shown leadership and certain “intangibles” notable in many Heisman winners.

Despite both Klein and Te’o holding a strong gridiron presence, their statistics have failed to measure up to their hype, especially when compared to Manziel.

When matched up statistically head-to-head with Klein, Johnny Football dominated in almost every category, compiling 1,220 more total yards and six more scores with only one additional interception.

Te’o, on the other hand, only has his top-ranked defense to back him up. In almost every defensive statistic, he ranks substandard.

All factors considered, Manziel has shown himself to be outstanding, particularly in the eyes of the Heisman voters. The young quarterback has even been able to secure some backing from the likes of a former opponent, star LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery.

“Johnny Football is nothing to play with,” Montgomery said following Alabama’s loss to A&M. “My hat’s off to Johnny Football. Heisman — just give it to him.”

Johnny Football will enter the Heisman ceremony in New York City on Saturday, as only a simple athlete from Kerrville, Texas, hoping to make history.

He should emerge a new man — one we all should know as Johnny Heisman.

Manziel concluded the season passing for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading Texas A&M to its first 10-win season since 1998. He will look to become A&M’s second Heisman award winner since 1957 winner John David Crow under then-head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

In a release from the Texas A&M athletic department, Manziel said he’s proud to represent A&M in the Heisman Award ceremony.

“I’m overwhelmed by this tremendous honor of representing Texas A&M, the 12th Man and all my teammates in New York,” Manziel said. “This is a dream come true for me and I know it’s a credit to all my coaches and teammates. I definitely wouldn’t be a Heisman finalist without my teammates and coaches.”

Manziel’s 4,600 total yards smashes the SEC record for yardage in a season — previously held by 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newton — a feat the A&M signal caller achieved in two fewer games. His 576 total yards against Louisiana Tech was an SEC record for yardage in a game and he is the only freshman to reach 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season.

Through his accomplishments, Manziel earned Associated Press SEC Offensive Player and Freshman of the Year honors. In addition to his Heisman Trophy candidacy, Manziel is also a Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Award finalist. The Maxwell and Davey O’Brien honors are awarded to the college player of the year and best quarterback of the year, respectively.

Several polls already have Manziel clinching the most prestigious individual hardware in the sport, including Heisman Pundit, USA Today and the Scripps Howard Heisman poll.
Olin Buchanan, a Heisman Trophy voter and writer for TexAgs.com, said while Manziel was projected to win the trophy, he could meet some resistance.

“I do think that, going forward, all of the polls have Manziel winning it,” Buchanan said. “Some have said that he’ll win by a really slim margin and other polls have him winning by a larger margin. I think he’ll win it but I think anytime there’s a Notre Dame player, you can speculate he’s going to win. But you can’t take it for granted because Notre Dame always gets so much attention.”

A win by any of the three candidates would make history. Klein would be the first Kansas State player to win the trophy while Te’o would be the first linebacker to achieve the award. If Manziel wins, he will be the first freshman to win the award and the lowest classification to win since Tim Tebow in 2007.

In an opening statement before a Manziel teleconference, A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said his youthful gunslinger was an integral piece to A&M’s success in its inaugural SEC season.

“As we’ve gone through this process, he’s been a catalyst for this football team in the first season in the SEC,” Sumlin said. “[Manziel is] a tremendous competitor, a tremendous leader and something that you really don’t see in a player as a redshirt freshman. All his leadership on and off the field has made this season a real successful one.”

After announcing weeks ago that the 2012 Major League Soccer season would be his last one in a Los Angeles Galaxy uniform, Beckham finished his American career with a bang by winning the MLS Cup Saturday night in a style fitting of his up-and-down six-year career with the Galaxy.

After going down a goal in the first half, the Galaxy came storming back in the second half — scoring three goals of its own — on the way to its second-consecutive MLS Cup victory.

It seemed a nearly impossible task to complete, but over the course of his short career in American soccer, Beckham did exactly as he said he would. He not only increased his own brand as an athlete, but also brought much-needed awareness both domestically and abroad for a league in dire need of attention.

While many fans will have differing opinions on the man who has been the face of soccer worldwide for more than a decade, it is hard to deny he has kept the majority of the promises he made when he first arrived to play in the United States in 2007.

When Beckham first arrived in July 2007 — with a following of more reporters and photographers than American soccer had ever seen before — and was officially unveiled across the country, it seemed that MLS had hired not a soccer player, but instead a stuntman to bring up ratings in a young and burgeoning league. After all, Beckham was into his 30s, which is typically when most soccer players begin to think about retirement if they have not already done so.

Not only that, but his arrival was accompanied with ringing endorsements and TV advertisements from every news outlet around the country and beyond as he was proclaimed the “chosen one” to bring MLS and American soccer to the promised land almost overnight.

Other more cynical fans, however, believed the promises too good to be true.

Those worst fears became reality almost immediately, as Beckham quickly aggravated an ankle injury he had sustained entering the season and sat out much of his first year, finishing the season with only five starts to his name.

Then, after a pair of seasons in 2008 and 2009 that failed to live up to his enormous expectations, Beckham suffered another setback in 2010 and spent even more time on the bench with a torn Achilles tendon.

Through the first half of his Galaxy career, it would have been hard to disagree with those who saw Beckham’s U.S. career as one of the biggest flops in sports history. After all, he hadn’t brought the promised championships, very few other big-name European players had followed his lead and attendance at games only increased for the Galaxy home games or those teams that were lucky enough to host Beckham and co.

Overall, it was a far cry from the visions of full stadiums and a blossoming American soccer fanbase that many fans expected to magically materialize upon Beckham’s arrival.

But much like the 2012 MLS Cup, Beckham’s career could best be characterized as a game of two halves.

A closer look at the second half of his six-year career reveals some of the most impressive growth MLS — not to mention American soccer in general — has ever seen.

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the facts.

The league that Beckham entered contained only 14 teams. Six years later, America’s premier soccer league boasts a respectable 19 teams.

Better yet, the attendance average in 2006 (one year before Beckham joined the team) was 15,504. This has steadily increased to the point where, in its most recent season, MLS broke its attendance record with an average of more than 18,000 fans per game.

Looking solely at attendance figures, since Beckham has arrived, professional soccer has become the third-most attended professional sports league in the United States, trailing only the MLB and NFL.

Infinitely more important than the attendance figures and the increasing number of teams participating in the league is the presence of the most well-known soccer player in the world putting American soccer on the map. That is one aspect of Beckham’s career American soccer fans can be sure will not be leaving when Beckham does after the dust settles and the championship festivities come to an end in the coming weeks.

While he may be moving on to his next challenge, thanks to David Beckham, American soccer is here to stay.

After speaking with Belcher, officers determined that he was fit to drive home, but investigators believe alcohol may have been a factor that led to Belcher shooting girlfriend Kasandra Perkins. According to police, toxicology tests were performed during the autopsies of Perkins and Belcher, but the results will not be available for a few weeks.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, Perkins returned home from having drinks with friends after a Trey Songz concert. Belcher, who had been partying at the Power and Light District, a neighborhood in downtown Kansas City, was upset because of her late arrival.

Around 7:50 a.m., Belcher’s mother, who was staying with her son to help watch his 3-month-old daughter while he and Perkins tried to resolve their recurring relationship issues, heard Belcher say to Perkins in their bedroom something to the effect of, “You can’t talk to me like that,” which was followed by gunfire.

Belcher’s mother rushed into the room and saw him lean over Perkins, say he was sorry and kiss her on the forehead. Perkins was later taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Belcher then apologized to his mother, kissed his daughter and left the house for Arrowhead stadium.

While driving, “[he] probably realized he had done something and he couldn’t go back,” Kansas City Police Sgt. Richard Sharp said.

Upon arriving at the parking lot of the practice facility, Belcher saw Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli, stepped out of his car with a gun pointed at his own head and according to police, said, “I did it. I killed her.”

Pioli and other members of the Chiefs organization were aware of Perkins and Belcher’s problems and had provided counseling for the couple.

Another Chiefs employee arrived in the parking lot while Pioli tried to convince Belcher to put his gun down. Belcher then thanked Pioli and asked if he and Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt would take care of his daughter.

Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs arrived in the parking lot and Belcher reportedly said, “Guys, I have to do this.”

“I was trying to get him to understand that life is not over,” Crennel told The Kansas City Star.

As police sirens were heard approaching the parking lot, Belcher took a few steps away with the gun still pointed at his head and said, “I got to go. I can’t be here.”

Belcher then knelt behind a vehicle, made the sign of the cross across his chest and shot himself in the head.

Belcher, who played for the Black Bears from 2005-08, went undrafted in 2009 before signing with the Chiefs. He accrued 198 tackles and one sack in more than three seasons. During his time at UMaine, Belcher participated in the domestic-violence awareness group Male Athletes Against Violence initiative and was on the committee that helped develop the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Saturday, though, facing an 11-point deficit with everything on the line, the formula clicked and Alabama went back to what it does best to set up a dramatic finish and a 32-28 win.

“We kind of had that, I-would-not-be-denied attitude out there today,” head coach Nick Saban said. “I’m not saying we played our best football game of the year in terms of execution, but the way we were able to run the ball, especially in the second half, was probably the difference in the game.”

To say Alabama ran the ball well in the second half would be an understatement. The Crimson Tide amassed 350 rushing yards total, with 223 coming in the second half. Starter Eddie Lacy was named game MVP, running a career-high 181 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman T.J. Yeldon was right behind him with 153 and a touchdown.

From the time Georgia returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown until Amari Cooper’s game-winning touchdown grab, Alabama called 20 runs and just five passes.

The stretch included 12 runs and just one pass – an incompletion that drew a pass interference penalty on the first scoring drive following the 11-point deficit – that saw Alabama score 15 points to take a four-point lead. The second of the two scoring drives featured seven runs exclusively, with Lacy and Yeldon sharing duties.

“We had that long drive, it about broke me it felt like,” guard Anthony Steen said. “I couldn’t breathe at one point. I looked at D.J., and he looked at me and we knew we weren’t going to give up. We were going to do whatever it took to pull off the win.”

It’s especially demoralizing for a defense to know exactly what’s coming and not be able to stop it. Alabama swapped out Lacy and Yeldon for much of the night, bringing in a fresh body every time the Bulldog defense seemed to have the other figured out.

“When you run the ball every single down in a drive, they might have thrown it once,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “They had two drives; they might have thrown it once, scored a touchdown, so that was impressive by their people up front. We were just not able to stop it.”

It all led to the perfect setup, a play-action pass over the top to Cooper that put Alabama up for good. The constant grind of the Tide’s rushing attack caused the Bulldog secondary to creep closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. Cooper was left with one-on-one coverage on the outside and beat his man for the score.

“You knew it was coming eventually,” center Barrett Jones said.

Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier opened the game with the same look Alabama gave Auburn – three and four wide receiver sets at up-tempo, no-huddle speed.

Only this wasn’t Auburn.

On Alabama’s second drive of the game, Nussmeier dialed up two runs that went for 9 and 8 yards, respectively. His next three calls were passes – two incomplete passes and a sack – and Alabama was forced to punt.

Much of the first half and start of the third quarter went that way for Alabama. Fans began to clamor for the return of the run game – they had seen this movie before earlier in the year and knew what not trusting them could cost.

But it would not be so. It was as if Saban could was reading tweets from the field. Alabama went almost exclusively to the run, and no matter what Georgia did, when they knew exactly what was coming, it could not stop the punishing ground game of Alabama.

“It makes you proud to be able to block for two great running backs. They had that mindset that I will not be denied,” right tackle D.J. Fluker said. “You don’t put your head down just ‘cause you’re down a couple points. At the end of the day, the scoreboard don’t matter. It’s about how much heart you got. What are you willing to do for it.”

Six days after O’Brien was removed from the head-coaching seat, a new chapter began for the program with the hiring of Dave Doeren, former head football coach of Northern Illinois, to the same position.

Any change in major college football is all associated with one statistic as the bottom line— wins and losses. Despite O’Brien leading the Pack to a 7-5 record this season, three consecutive bowl games and five straight wins against rival North Carolina, it wasn’t good enough. Where O’Brien was below par, Doeren excelled.

Doeren’s Huskies went 23-4 overall while he was at the helm and 17-1 against Mid-Atlantic Conference opponents. This season, they reached a No. 16 national ranking, a school-record 12-win season and captured the MAC championship over Kent State. The Huskies are the only Football Bowl Subdivision team to win 21 of its last 22 games.

“If we want to be the champions in this office, which I know we do, if we want to be consistent top-25 program, then we’re going to have to be tireless workers and understand that’s our charge,” Doeren said. “And we will be.”

Like the hectic 24 hours between winning its season finale against Boston College and O’Brien’s departure for the Wolfpack, Doeren has also had to make a life-changing adjustment in a short period of time.

His former school earned a bid to the Orange Bowl and will play Florida State. Doeren will not coach NIU in the bowl game, but he said leaving the team at this time was a difficult decision.

Doeren brings experience as a recruiting coordinator at Wisconsin to a program that has struggled to bring top-rated classes into Raleigh. The 2011 class was the worst under O’Brien, ranked last in the conference according to Rivals.com. Doeren said he would honor each of the current 2013 commits under O’Brien if they choose to stay committed to State.

“To see all of these great freshmen in the state of North Carolina starting off their careers at other schools is upsetting,” Doeren said.

While O’Brien’s office was plagued by dropped passes and a disjointed rushing attack all season, Doeren again provides a flip of the coin in the offensive category as well. NIU ranked 15th in total offense and scored 40.8 points per game this season. State averaged 28.4 points per outing. But in an era full of high-powered offenses this isn’t good enough, ranking State 72nd overall.

As the Doeren era begins, for the price tag of $1.8 million per year in a five-year contract, Yow is expecting him to push the program to national prominence, refusing to accept the status quo.

A career that began with promise and saw big wins, including a Meineke Car Care Bowl victory and a five-year contract extension and salary bump, came to an end less than 24 hours after the Bulls capped off the worst run in USF history — a streak of 12 losses in the last 16 games, ending with a 27-3 loss to Pittsburgh — when Athletics Director Doug Woolard announced at an approximately 15-minute press conference Sunday that the search for a coach would begin.
“We must strive to put a more successful football program on the field,” a somber-faced Woolard said. “Beginning today, we will move in a new direction toward that goal.”

Though Woolard said Holtz’s firing came after a conversation “reviewing the body of work” from the season with USF President Judy Genshaft following Saturday’s game, Holtz seemed unsure of his future with the team after the season-ending loss to the Panthers.

“I’d certainly like to be (back),” Holtz said Saturday night when asked about his future with USF. “There’s been a lot of hard work that has gone into this through players, coaches. … I understand the hardened position we’ve put a lot of people in, with the record that we have. … I understand the nature of this business is to win games.”

Woolard said he and Holtz met at noon on Sunday, following further conversations with Genshaft on Sunday morning.

“I believe we made some positive strides, most notably in our academics, that were helping to build a foundation for this program, and I would have liked the opportunity to see it through,” Holtz said in a press release that served as the only reaction from the 48-year old son of College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz. “But I understand the administration’s decision and wish them nothing but success in the future.”

The firing comes after an offseason that saw Holtz sign a five-year contract extension, bumping his annual salary to
$2 million — an extension that will have the school paying $2.5 million to Holtz over the next five years.

“When we extended his contract, we thought that was the right thing to do,” Woolard said. “As there was interest from multiple BCS schools, and because all factors pointed to us having an outstanding year this year. I think just the on-field performance was disappointing.”

USF and the rest of the Big East is in the midst of conference realignment and expansion, as the conference has seen the departure of West Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Rutgers in the last two seasons, while
adding schools from lower conferences.

Though on-field performance could be key if the Bulls are looking to move to one of the future super-conferences, Woolard said Holtz’s firing had “nothing to do with conference expansion.”

USF will now move forward for the second coaching search in its history. The first was in December 2009, when Holtz was hired after former founding football coach Jim Leavitt was fired following a university investigation that found he had physically manhandled a player and lied about it. Leavitt and the university reached a $2.75 million settlement in early 2011.

“We will enlist the expertise of university officials, community leaders and leaders in the world of intercollegiate athletics,” Woolard said. “We will not be utilizing a search firm in the traditional sense, but we may seek assistance in terms of search logistics, background checks and vetting of candidates. From a time standpoint I want to move as quickly as we can, but also as thorough as we need to be as we go through the process.”

Woolard said the rest of the football coaching staff is still employed by USF. Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch will take over all football issues for the team for now, but is not named interim coach.

“When we find a new head coach they will have the opportunity to sit with him and discuss their future,” he said.

Woolard said Sunday’s press conference would be his only public commentary until the team’s coaching search is complete.

According to the report, the first shooting occurred in a Kansas City neighborhood and the second at Arrowhead Stadium at about 8 a.m. Saturday. The training facility has been put on lock down and is barricaded by local authorities. According to Kansas City sports radio host Danny Parkins, Belcher committed suicide after being confronted by coaches. According to the reports, Belcher thanked both head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli before taking his own life. Kansas City Police Department are reporting the two coaches didn’t feel threatened.

“This is a real tragedy, a horrible tragedy,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove during an impromptu press conference Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Gymnasium. “Jovan was one of those young men that we have such great memories of here. We don’t know at all what took place out there and I think the tragedy that has fallen — our prayers go out to Kasandra and her family. We’re going to pray for Jovan, we’re going to pray for Jovan’s family. His impact on this program was boundless.

“It’s a real difficult time for me personally and our football family.”

Cosgrove said the last time he spoke with Belcher was on the phone on the day his child was born, which was in September.

“I called him on the birth of his child,” he said. “The Jovan that I know from his time in Orono was on the other end of that phone.”

KCPD Capt. David Lindaman said Belcher and his girlfriend got into an argument around 7:50 a.m. Lindaman said Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins serveral times before she was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Lindaman said Belcher’s mother was visiting the couple and their young daughter.

During his time at UMaine, Belcher participated in the Males Against Violence initiative and was on the committee that helped develop the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

“I’m hard-pressed to recall a young man who had more of an impact in a positive way in my time here,” Cosgrove said. “He’s one of the great stories in the program’s history. A lot of the things he did [went unnoticed]. He was a member of Big Brothers. He had a young man that he served as a sort of foster-father for during his time here. He graduated in three-and-a-half years, which is a tremendous accomplishment for a student athlete.”

The Chiefs released a statement addressing the events.

“The entire Chiefs family is deeply saddened by today’s events, and our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy, thoughts and prayers for the families and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy. We sincerely appreciate the expressions of sympathy and support we have received from so many in the Kansas City and NFL communities, and ask for continued prayers for the loved ones of those impacted.”

According to the team’s website, their game against the Carolina Panthers is still scheduled for its normal time on Sunday.

Belcher, who played for the Black Bears from 2005-08 went undrafted in 2009 before signing with the Chiefs. He accumulated 198 tackles and one sack in more than three seasons.

Multiple media outlets have reported that Majerus died at 3:30 p.m (PST) of heart failure in a California hospital.

Majerus, 64, had been in California undergoing evaluation for a serious heart condition that forced him to take an indefinite leave of absence in late August. On Nov. 16, it was announced that Majerus would be unable to return to Saint Louis.

“Tonight we join the rest of the basketball world in sending our condolences to Rick Majerus’ family and friends,” SLU director of athletics Chris May said. “Coach Majerus put his heart and soul into the Billiken program, and for that we will be eternally grateful.”

SLU interim head coach Jim Crews, who replaced Majerus in August, reflected upon Majerus’ passion for coaching, as well as their friendship.

“Nobody loved basketball and teaching kids more than Rick. His passion for the game and the coaching profession was unparalleled,” said Crews. “Rick was a true friend and was always there when needed. I, along with so many others, are going to miss him.”

During his career, Majerus established himself as one of the brightest coaching minds in college basketball while compiling a 517-216 record.

Majerus began his college coaching career at Marquette U. as an assistant in 1971 before taking over as head coach in 1983. After three years as Marquette’s head coach, Majerus had a brief stint in the NBA as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent two years as head coach at Ball State U. before moving to U. Utah in 1989.

Majerus helped revived a middling Utah program, reaching the NCAA tournament in ten of his twelve full seasons as head coach. The apex of his Utah tenure came in 1998 when he led the Utes to the NCAA Tournament final, losing a heartbreaking contest to the University of Kentucky.

Majerus’ time at Utah was marked by multiple health issues. He missed the bulk of the 1989-1990 season after undergoing heart surgery, and coached only one game of the 2000-2001 campaign before taking a personal leave.

Eventually, Majerus’ health problems led to his resignation in 2004. Later that year, Majerus accepted the head coaching job at U. Southern California, but resigned five days later, once again citing health concerns.

“I wanted this job so bad I was in denial where my health actually is,” Majerus said at the time.

Majerus spent three years as an ESPN studio analyst from 2004-2007 before being hired as SLU’s head coach on April 27, 2007.

Majerus helped return the Billikens to national relevance, collecting a 95-69 overall record. Last season, Majerus led the Billikens to their first appearance since 2000, reaching the third round before falling to Michigan State U.

Majerus was widely respected for his coaching acumen and off-court personality. Friends, colleagues, fans and players have expressed sadness for his passing and admiration for his actions both on and off the court.

“Majerus was a teacher and a thinker, an insatiable intellect and a fearless one. In a world full of passers-by on the highway of life, Majerus was never along for the ride,” Dana O Neil, ESPN college basketball writer, said.

Instead, Wisconsin (8-5, 4-4 Big Ten) looked like an offensive juggernaut, manhandling Nebraska (10-3, 7-1) 70-31 in Lucas Oil Stadium as three running backs amassed 100 yards or more for the first time in school history and handing the program its third-straight Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth.

“I apologize to everybody associated with Nebraska football with how we coached, how we played, and it’s not acceptable,” Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said.

Doak Walker Award finalist Montee Ball cruised to 202 yards and three touchdowns, junior James White gained 119 yards with four rushing touchdowns and redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon gained 216 yards on just nine carries, scoring a touchdown himself.

It was also the first time in school history that Wisconsin had two running backs go over the 200-yard mark as the 70 points scored were a new Big Ten championship record, easily surpassing the previous record of 42 set by the team in 2011.

“Just to say to have three Big Ten championships, that says it all,” Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said.

The Badgers set the tone of the game early, as a four-play opening drive culminated in a jet-sweep to Gordon, who took it to the left sideline and cut upfield for a 56-yard touchdown.

Even though Ball was named the game’s MVP for his performance, it was the electric runs of Gordon that sparked Wisconsin early and often, as the little-used tailback took three of his nine runs for over 40 yards.

Wisconsin primarily used Gordon on motion-sweeps, as the straight-line speed of the redshirt freshman to the sideline was often too much for Nebraska to keep up with.

“I was waiting for the day he was going to excel and show what he was capable of doing,” Ball said with a smile. “It’s really pleasing to me to see him grow and watch him really do some great things out there.”

On the first play of Nebraska’s opening drive, quarterback Taylor Martinez threw a short pass to receiver Kenny Bell in the right flat, but Bell mishandled the pass, as the ball found its way into the hands of Wisconsin cornerback Marcus Cromartie. With nobody in front of him, Cromartie took the ball 29 yards for a touchdown as an extra point made the score 14-0 in favor of the Badgers just two minutes into the game.

It was an eerily similar start to the previous meeting between the two teams in September, as Wisconsin jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium only to surrender the game in the second half.

And just like in the first meeting between these two teams, the Huskers rallied as a highlight-reel 76-yard touchdown scramble by Martinez on third-and-11 brought the score to 14-7.

Nebraska’s defense followed up its offense’s success by forcing a three-and-out, as Martinez and the Huskers drove the ball on the proceeding possession 76 yards down the field.

A Brett Maher field goal later, the lead was cut to 14-10.

But that was the closest the Huskers would get, as Wisconsin offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s creative play-calling kept the Huskers off-balance all game, shifting out of initial formations with three men in motion and running several trick plays.

The Badgers used the “Barge” formation — an offensive formation that entails up to nine-down offensive linemen with White at quarterback — to respond to the Huskers’ rally, with White scoring on a 9-yard run as well as a 1-yard run on the next drive.

“You never know which play is going to matter,” White said. “Every play is a big play. Everybody pushed through each play and helped push us through the game.”

If Nebraska had any hopes for a comeback, it was crushed in Wisconsin’s final drive before halftime. Taking over with just a minute left in the second quarter on their own 21-yard line, the Badgers were once again bolstered by Gordon, who took a sweep 60 yards to set up the game’s lone touchdown throw.

And it wasn’t made by a quarterback.

Once again out of the Barge formation, White took the snap and took a step forward, only to pull back to pass and find tight end Sam Arneson wide open in the end zone for a deciding touchdown that not only made the score 42-10, but sent the Huskers into the locker room looking dazed by the punch in the mouth they had just endured.

“I don’t know if I’ve enjoyed coaching a team as much as these guys because we’ve gone through some pretty high peaks and low valleys,” Bielema said.

“I got a group of men that only know one thing, and that’s how to work, how to have faith. Their determination to get here and the resiliency of this group gave us the championship.”

They could almost feel the Pac-12 Championship trophy in their hands.

They could almost hear their soaked contingent of fans screaming in victorious jubilation as they walked off of Foster Field.

Instead, the No. 16 Bruins (9-4, 6-3 Pac-12) walked out of Stanford Stadium with glossy eyes and broken hearts following a 27-24 loss to the No. 8 Cardinal (11-2, 8-1).

“All we’ve been saying this week was ‘Can you smell the roses? Smell those roses.’ And not being able to smell them f—-ing hurts,” said junior linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, who led the team with 12 tackles. “We wanted to give the seniors a Rose Bowl so bad, and we couldn’t give it to them. That’s what hurts the most.”

On a night that saw consistent rainfall, it felt like UCLA was simply one mental error, one slip, one penalty away from going to their first Rose Bowl since 1998.

“It hurts because we know how close we were to playing in the Rose Bowl on January 1,” said redshirt sophomore safety Tevin McDonald. “We played good enough to beat them, but a few things happened that didn’t go our way and we took a loss.”

UCLA’s biggest error came in the second quarter when the Bruins were driving with a 14-7 lead.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley threw a deep ball intended for redshirt senior receiver Joseph Fauria, but it was a intercepted by Stanford safety Ed Reynolds and returned 80 yards to UCLA’s one yard-line. Stanford scored on the next play to tie the game at 14.

“There were all types of plays that, if it happened in a different way, we could have come out victorious,” McDonald said. “That interception was one of them. That completely switched up the
momentum.”

Despite all of the mistakes and missed opportunities, UCLA had a chance to tie the game with 34 seconds left on a 52-yard field goal. Freshman kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn walked onto the drenched field, prepared to set a new career long, but once again, the Bruins came up just short.

The snap was low and Fairbairn missed wide-left, sealing UCLA’s fate.

“We won with (Ka’imi) and we lost with him,” said redshirt senior Datone Jones, who had seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. “That’s my brother and we had his back.”

The loss meant that Jones and all of UCLA’s seniors would not get a last chance to play in the Rose Bowl one last time. This group included redshirt senior running back Johnathan Franklin, who had one of the best games of his record-setting career, rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns against the nation’s best running defense.

“(His performance) was very special,” Jones said. “I wish we could have gotten the win so he could have been the MVP of this game.”

UCLA will now most likely head to either the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, the last time that UCLA’s seniors will take the field in blue and gold.

“Whatever game we play in, I want to win for our seniors,” Zumwalt said. “We have to win for our seniors. They deserve to go out on top.”

That was the difference between Alabama going to its third national title in four years, and Georgia usurping the Crimson Tide as the No. 2 team in the nation.

Of course, Alabama came away with the 32-28 victory over Georgia, but the fact the Bulldogs were five yards (or one more play) away from a possible victory is very telling of the type of game the Southeastern Conference Championship was.

This game was the equivalent of what Alabama head coach Nick Saban likes to call a 15-round heavyweight boxing match – and Alabama barely survived to the final bell.

Alabama found itself challenged, and sometimes bullied, in every facet of the game. The Georgia defense, led by a stellar performance by Jarvis Jones, accumulated three sacks, two turnovers, and forced the Tide offense to work for every yard.

The Georgia offense was led by a valiant effort by quarterback Aaron Murray, who went 18-for-33, 265 yards and a touchdown. Talented freshman running back Todd Gurley also ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns, making him only the second running back all season to
eclipse the century mark on the ground against Alabama.

On special teams, Georgia was downright dominant. The Bulldogs converted a fake punt, which led to its first touchdown of the game, and blocked a field goal, recovering it and returning it for a touchdown.

The Tide certainly didn’t help itself at times either. After entering the second half with a 10-7 lead, Alabama allowed two scores by Georgia, one off an easy offensive drive by the Bulldogs, and one off the blocked field goal, giving them the 21-10 lead.

Quarterback AJ McCarron seemed tentative, holding the ball for too long, resulting in him being sacked three times and throwing an uncharacteristic interception in the end zone. The defense had trouble slowing the Georgia offense, and the special teams performed miserably at times.

But, in typical Alabama fashion, the Tide managed to find a way to fight back. And Alabama had a perfect counter to the Georgia onslaught: the one-two combination of Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon.

Yeldon put Alabama back in the game, scoring a crucial 10-yard rushing touchdown and converting the two-point conversion as well, to put Alabama within three, at 21-18. If Yeldon put Alabama back into the game with his score, however, Lacy gave Alabama control of the game.

He had four rushes of at least 14 yards in the third quarter, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in the first play of the fourth quarter. Overall, Lacy and Yeldon finished with 187 and 154 yards, respectively, with three combined touchdowns.

“They definitely had success running the ball,” Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. “They had two drives, they might have thrown it once. That was impressive.”

The fourth quarter, however, is where Alabama won the game. After earning a late go-ahead touchdown, the Alabama defense had to take the field one last time to win.

Georgia had just over a minute left and 85 yards between it and the win. It was anyone’s game. The Bulldogs drove all the way down to the Alabama 8, and with 15 seconds left, elected to go for it all in lieu of spiking the ball. On the final play, wide receiver Chris Conley caught a
tipped pass, and was tackled in bounds, five yards short of the end zone and a Georgia victory.

Despite the loss, Richt said his team played incredibly, and lauded his team for its effort. “If anybody thinks we didn’t play our tails off, if Aaron Murray didn’t play his tail off,” Richt said, “they’re crazy.”

Saban surely wasn’t in disagreement with Richt. Saban said Georgia’s performance earned them the right to play in a BCS bowl game at season’s end.

“I’m going to tell you that it’s a crying shame if Georgia doesn’t get to go to a BCS bowl game,” Saban said. “… They played a tremendous game out there today, and that was a great football game. By both teams.”

Indeed, this game was the epitome of what an SEC game should be: tough, physical, and hard-fought, all the way to the end. Neither team played perfectly, but both teams certainly played well enough to earn the win.

Alabama was just five yards better.

But from the second quarter on last night, the Knights struggled on that side of the ball, showing shades of last Saturday’s loss at Pittsburgh.

Much of that is thanks to Cardinals normal starter Teddy Bridgewater relieving Stein and picking apart the Rutgers defense.

The Knights noticed the difference between the two, falling to Louisville, 20-17.

Stein helped generate only 64 yards of offense.

After the first quarter, Bridgewater took over and the highest-scoring offense in the conference emerged.

“[The Cardinals] trust Bridgewater more,” said senior safety Duron Harmon. “They take more shots downfield. Stein was just a changeup. [The Cardinals] knew exactly what they were going to do when they made the switch.”

Louisville added 96 yards of offense before the first half was over.

In the second half, the difference between the two quarterbacks was as glaring as ever and the defense failed to adjust.

Harmon said it came down to a lack of execution and the defensive players not doing their jobs well enough to stop the Cardinals.

While Stein failed to progress the offense significantly in the time he spent under center, Bridgewater took control and found the same holes Panthers quarterback Tino Sunseri did.

“When you see some of the throws he made, I don’t think there’s anybody else in the league that can make those throws,” said head coach Kyle Flood. “The only other quarterback we saw all year that could make those throws was [Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson].”

Rutgers defensive backs could not find open receivers fast enough.

In that time, Stein rarely returned to the field and was relegated to a mainly third-down role.

The defensive line, which had one of its best performances of the season a game removed from failing to be a significant factor, was the Knights’ biggest source of defensive consistency.

“I thought we played really well up front,” said senior defensive tackle Scott Vallone. “I thought we won the battle up front.”

The front four rarely ended the play on the same side of the line of scrimmage they started on, finding their way into the backfield more often than not.

Defensive linemen combined for nine tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks.

Vallone led the charge, dropping Cardinals behind the line for a total loss of 15 yards.

Often the Knights depend on special teams to help sway the game in their favor.

That did not happen against Louisville.

The Rutgers kickoff return unit, which boasts a top-10 average nationally, was far from a positive for the Knights in last night’s contest.

Junior returner Jeremy Deering had four attempts, averaging less than 20 yards per return, and had one fumble on the Rutgers 20-yard line, which led to a go-ahead score from Louisville.

His long was a 23-yard return and added a 22-yard return. The next longest return came courtesy of sophomore Miles Shuler, who went for 17 yards.

In addition, a penalty on senior tackle Devon Watkis negated a fake field goal pass that resulted in a touchdown.

“I’m disappointed we had a turnover on special teams,” Flood said. “I’m disappointed we had a penalty on special teams that ended up bringing a touchdown pass. … My disappointments are in things we didn’t execute.”

As a result, Rutgers had several long fields, most of which it failed to conquer.

“I thought we were being put in positions that were less advantageous to run good offense [in the first half],” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. The raucous crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium could sense the post-Thanksgiving hangover reoccurring for Duke.

After all, the Blue Devils were virtually in the same position a year ago—coming off the emotional-high of winning one of the premiere Thanksgiving tournaments in college basketball. Last November, a host of factors—fatigue, immaturity and lack of togetherness—led to Duke’s embarrassing 85-63 demise on the road against Buckeyes, who eventually marched on to the Final Four. The early-season setback foreshadowed the Blue Devils’ future: an upset loss on the opening-weekend of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils were seemingly on the verge of getting knocked out for the second-straight year in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. With its 96-game non-conference-home winning streak on the line and payback on the players’ minds, Duke came out of the locker room with a swagger in the second half—something fans never saw in last season’s squad.

“They got knocked back in the first half, and then played great in the second half, and just fought,” Krzyzewski said.

Chipping away at the Buckeye’s lead—that peaked at 10 points in the second half—the Blue Devils received resilient second-half performances from Rasheed Sulaimon, Ryan Kelly and Quinn Cook, who collectively scored 35 points in the second half to complement Mason Plumlee’s dominating 21-point, 17-rebound performance. Spearheaded by Cook at point guard, the newfound offensive rhythm allowed Duke to scrap and claw its way back, take the lead and ultimately get highly sought-after revenge.

“We certainly wanted [the win],” Kelly said, with regards to having lost to the Buckeyes last season. “We had to prove as team that winning our first championship, that we could put that behind us and take the next step. Last year is last year, but we couldn’t make that step last year.”

After going scoreless and playing his worst half in a Duke uniform, Sulaimon showed unique character, especially for a rookie, by bouncing back with a critical 17 points in the second half. In the process, the youngster illustrated his versatile game—creating his own shots both off the dribble and on deep 3-pointers.

“For a freshman to respond that way is superb,” Krzyzewski said. “It just doesn’t happen very often.”

But it was the three seniors that made it happen. The trio of leaders pulled the talented freshman shooting guard aside at halftime and demanded that the youngster step up in the second half—another telling sign that this Duke team is poised for a deeper postseason run.

“All three of them came to me and said I need to step it up,” Sulaimon said. “I just wanted to do it for them, not for me. I had a bad half in the first half, and in the second half I just wanted to do whatever I can to make those guys proud. ”

The team is clearly tougher and has taken a step it failed to last year. The Blue Devils escaped murderer’s row—No. 8 Kentucky, No. 21 Minnesota, VCU, No. 5 Louisville and No. 4 Ohio State—unscathed in the month of November.

“I have liked my group,” Krzyzewski said. “You just don’t know if they have the confidence, the endurance and the togetherness to go through a stretch like that. It’ll be hard to find anybody that has been through a stretch like this. They have gotten better. I knew my team was together, but through accomplishment they have gotten more together.”

Who exactly is “Johnny Football?”

It was one of the best and worst kept secrets in college football. As a freshman under Kevin Sumlin’s media policy, the 19-soon-to-be-20-year-old quarterback, Johnny Manziel, could not speak to media — at least not with his voice. What the youthful gunslinger did do was take the college football world by storm with magical, and sometimes unimaginable, on-field performances.

Though in his Tuesday press conference debut, and with utmost humility, Manziel was quick to credit his fellow players.

“The individual success that I’ve had, the records that have been broken — without my teammates none of that would’ve been possible,” Manziel said. “Our team success is us coming to together as a unit and because of that, I get the chance to get up here when there could be five linemen up here.”

Still, the media attention remains upon A&M’s beloved signal caller.

For weeks, comparisons were drawn as sports writers and fans deliberated who Manziel most resembled. Legendary names surfaced of days of yore — the likes of Doug Flutie, Fran Tarkenton and Brett Favre — among others.

Johnny Football became a national sensation. His uniquely endearing style of play and knack for making everything out of nothing piqued the curiosity of football fans everywhere. Whether he ran in circles around the Arkansas defense, raced past defensive backs for game-winning touchdowns or caught his own fumble and — somehow — darted a perfect pass to a receiver in the back of the end zone against the infamous Crimson Tide defense, Manziel mesmerized his audiences.

Then there are the statistics.

Manziel’s 4,600 total yards and 43 touchdowns to only eight interceptions are video game numbers. Gamers would be hard pressed to match those statistics with custom-made NCAA football players complimented with the highest possible attributes. He blows SEC Heisman winners Tim Tebow and Cam Newton out of the water and broke the SEC total season yardage record — previously held by Newton — in two fewer games. He’s the fastest player in college football history to reach 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season and the only freshman in college football history to ever do so.

In the words of LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery: “Heisman. Give it to him.”

But what Manziel revealed Monday and Tuesday, granting his first words ever to the press, is that he doesn’t believe he’s the superhero everyone makes him out to be. He indicated that he’s, instead, pretty normal.

“I really don’t see myself as the ‘Johnny Football’ craze that’s kind of swept Aggieland and the nation. I see myself as Johnny Manziel,” he said. “I’m a guy from Kerrville, Texas just trying to be a laid back guy who likes to hang out with friends and be a normal college student just like anybody else.”

In only a matter of days, however, Johnny Football will likely transform to “Johnny Heisman.” Fans and media will be forever endeared.

What might never change, trophy or not, is Manziel’s perspective of himself. Johnny will be — well — Johnny.

About the experience, Manziel wasn’t shy to give his thoughts.

“It’s a dream come true.”

Louisville will be an improvement to the ACC and be a much stronger competitor in many sports than the Terrapins. The Cardinals, if they beat the Rutgers in football on Thursday, will be the Big East champions. Louisville boasts a budget ranked higher than any other ACC team, and has a young football team with only five starters graduating after this season. In basketball, the Cardinals have finished either in the Final Four or the Elite Eight four times since the 2004-2005 basketball season. Currently, Louisville is the fifth-ranked men’s basketball team in the nation and maintains the most profitable basketball program in the country every year. The women’s team is ranked seventh. In 2007, the baseball team made it to the College World Series.

Although Louisville is ranked as the 160^th school in the country academically, the ACC believes that its reputation of high academic standards will not be heavily affected by one institute’s ranking. With the addition of the Cardinals, the ACC will have four new members shortly including Syracuse and Pittsburgh in 2013 and Louisville and Notre Dame in 2014.

The Big Ten and the SEC, each now boasting 14 nationally prominent college allegiances, are dead set on a collision course to dominate college athletics.

The recent additions of Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten — be it mainly for ownership of a fraction of East Coast television sets — have driven their new conference above the Pac-12, ACC, Big 12 and all other feeble leagues that make up the NCAA — except for, of course, the SEC.

The SEC was already atop the landscape of collegiate sports, and it has been there for a while. Six-straight BCS national championships, three of the last eight college basketball championships, the reigning softball champion and two of the last six women’s basketball championships all call the SEC home.

And how about baseball and the pings of aluminum bats that wake us up and keep us awake at night every June. The SEC has had three champions in college baseball in the past four years, advancing a team to the finals in each of the last five.

For fans that adore collegiate parity, the list unfortunately goes on and on. There is barely any more room in the trophy case.

Then the SEC stole Missouri and Texas A&M — two schools known for balance across their athletic departments — leaving the Big 12 with a much less meaningful group of 10.

If any conference deserves the tag athletic monstrosity, it’s the SEC.

But here comes the Big Ten, ponying up to the bar where only the SEC likes to call the shots. Can they belly up against the Santa-sized SEC and compete? They certainly can — and most certainly will.

By sheer numbers, the Big Ten will, at the very least, hang out near the successes of the SEC. No other conference can match the depth of 14 full-fledged collegiate programs — at least not yet. More programs means more opportunities for other schools to define their season, much like Texas A&M did this year with a victory over Alabama.

Fans on this campus can recognize just what a victory over No. 1 Ohio State can do for a program. It has since helped bring two conference championships and dates with national television at the Rose Bowl.

And for all the magic the SEC has in football, the Big Ten has it in basketball. Coincidentally, the best coaches in the nation lead the best programs in the nation.

Ohio State’s Thad Matta, Michigan’s John Beilein, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Indiana’s Tom Crean and Wisconsin’s very own Bo Ryan constitute five of the best coaches that toe the hardwood in the nation. Each of their programs began this season ranked in the top 25.

The SEC boasts two premier coaches in John Calipari and Billy Donovan, both well-known for having stable hands and cutting down nets come springtime.

For football, Alabama’s Nick Saban (3), LSU’s Les Miles (1) and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier (1) have all brought home national championships to the SEC.

But if SEC fans were rejoicing when Urban Meyer stepped down at Florida, they can only count their blessings a little while longer. The man that once dominated the SEC now lives comfortably in the Big Ten. He also has not lost a game yet as head coach at Ohio State.

Joining him in conference is Michigan’s Brady Hoke, Nebraska’s Bo Pelini, Penn State’s Bill O’Brien and Wisconsin’s (less-than-revered) Bret Bielema — four young, promising coaches that have all exceeded expectations during their short tenures.

So the Big Ten is up-and-coming in football, the SEC is up and coming in basketball. Each conference currently has a stranglehold over the sports that matter most in America. The best part of it all? Neither is leaving the spotlight anytime soon.

When college football fans sit down to watch the most important games on New Year’s Day, they will likely be watching teams from either of these conferences, much like they have for years.

Each season the two conferences send football teams to meet in the Gator Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the Capital One Bowl and, if necessary, the national championship. Over the next few years, it may likely become more than necessary because the next generation of players want their piece of the pie, too.

According to Scout.com, the SEC and Big Ten own eight of the top 10 recruiting classes for football in 2013. For basketball, the two conferences have pegged four of the top six spots.

It might seem unfair that just a pair of conferences are set to rule over college athletics, but other conferences can turn those pointer fingers back toward themselves.

It was Nebraska’s movement from the Big 12 to the Big Ten that began the coast-to-coast shakeup of schools and conferences. Then A&M and Missouri followed suit and now, for better or for worse, we have Maryland and Rutgers moving to the Big Ten.

Can’t blame them, though. Over the past few years and surely for years to come, the place to be in college athletics is either the Big Ten or the SEC.

Tulane and East Carolina will join the Big East Conference in 2014, with East Carolina joining as a football-only member.

The addition of East Carolina hits close to home for USF football coach Skip Holtz, who coached East Carolina from 2005 to 2009, going 38-27, 28-12 in conference play and winning two Conference USA East Division championships.

“I’m excited for them,” Holtz said. “I think it’s a good program. They have a great fan base and a great following. There are a lot of good people there. (ECU Athletic Director) Terry Holland is a great leader — he is like a father figure to me. I’m happy for them because I know that is a goal that they have had and is something that they have been working hard for.”

The addition will make 13 total teams in the conference in 2014, enough for two divisions and a potential conference championship game.

“We are in a world of a changing landscape when it comes to conference affiliation,” Holtz said. “It seems like every week there are new announcements and speculations and rumors. I think for me right now, coaches are not really included in those conversations. I am sure the administration is doing what they can to create the strongest Big East Conference they can build.”

Next week, USF President Judy Genshaft and Athletics Director Doug Woolard will travel to New York to set the Big East schedule for next year.

The addition of both teams comes as the Big East is negotiating a new television deal. Conference commissioner Mike Aresco spoke to reporters Sept. 13 when the negotiations were beginning, and said the Big East has had some preliminary conversations with ESPN.

“We’ll get into that in earnest pretty soon,” he said. “We value the ESPN relationship… We have a lot of people interested in us. We’ve got a lot of different options. The thing you have to remember (is) we have an enormous amount of quality product. We have outstanding major markets, we have teams that matter in those markets. I like the position we’re in.”

Since then, the 60-day exclusivity window with ESPN has expired, allowing the Big East free reign to negotiate with other channels, such as the NBC Sports Network and Fox.

The addition of the New Orleans media market, thanks to Tulane, could allow the league to become a more attractive candidate.

Though the Big East has added two teams, general speculation remains that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) — which lost Maryland to the Big 10 Conference on Nov. 19 — will be looking toward the Big East for a 14th member. Sources told ESPN.com that Connecticut and Louisville are the favorites to move to the ACC.

East Carolina and Tulane are two of nine former Conference USA members to move to the Big East Conference.

“We thank East Carolina and charter member Tulane for all their contributions to the league and wish them well,” Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said in a press release. “These are unprecedented times in higher education.”

The student section was full for the first time this season and had been loud during the pregame ceremony when Michigan raised a banner to honor last season’s co-Big Ten Championship. But now, three minutes into the game, the crowd had quieted down, waiting for the Wolverines to get going.

Play started sloppily — the two teams combined for four turnovers in the first three minutes — and Michigan’s starting shooting guard, Matt Vogrich, had just picked up his second foul. Plus, the senior had started off the game with a turnover that led to an easy Wolfpack dunk for the first points of the contest.

In came freshman guard Nik Stauskas, who kick-started the Michigan offense. After a quick Stauskas bucket, the crowd was back into it. Stauskas, and Michigan, didn’t look back. The Wolverines ultimately overcame the relentless play of N.C. State to hang on to the seven-point lead late.

“I’m still coming off the bench, but at this point that’s something I’m fine with,” Stauskas said. “(Michigan coach John Beilein) likes me coming into the game and he is giving me the green light to shoot and do what I want, so you can’t ask for any more than that.”

After his first bucket of the game, Stauskas went on a stretch where he scored 10 of Michigan’s 12 points. He finished the first half with 13 points on five shots and helped key a 16-4 Wolverine run. The Wolfpack had their biggest run of the first half when Stauskas was on the bench, scoring seven in a row. With Stauskas back in the game, Michigan stopped the run and regained the game’s momentum.

The freshman finished the night with a game-high and career-high 20 points, a total that included four 3-pointers.

The other impressive night belonged to sophomore point guard Trey Burke, who tied his career-high in assists, nine, at the end of the first half. Burke finished the first half with zero points and zero turnovers.

The second half started a little differently for Burke. Less than seven minutes after halftime, he hit a pull-up 3-pointer to score his 10th point of the night — and secure his first career double-double. He finished the contest with 18 points, 11 assists and zero turnovers.

“I was getting deep in the paint and guys were kind of shading the perimeter,” Burke said. “(The second half was) when I could get to the rack … it was just matter of making reads.”

The Wolfpack were trying to push the ball at every available opportunity, and also attempted a full-court press at one point. The pressure caught the Wolverines napping at points during fast breaks but wasn’t as effective as N.C. State hoped.

Michigan finished the game with just six turnovers — two of which were given up in the first two minutes of the game. On top of that, the Wolverines’ first turnover of the second half came with 4:34 left in the game.

N.C. State had four players score in double figures, but couldn’t do enough defensively to slow Michigan down. The lead shrunk to within five points with less than a minute to play, but an offensive foul drawn by freshman Mitch McGary effectively sealed the game.

Coming off a championship in the weak NIT Season Tip-Off field, the Wednesday matchup was Michigan’s first real challenge of the season, a statement win against its first ranked opponent of the year.

“I think we have a lot of good options and I think most good teams do,” Beilein said. “I like coaching these guys … they are just good kids to coach. They buy into what you’re doing, whether they played six minutes, didn’t play or played 39 minutes, they have a similar attitude in the locker room.

“If we can maintain that unity, that’s going to be a big part of determining our success.”

After the break, IU delivered the knockout.

Indiana scored the first 13 points of the second half to claim a double digit lead it never came close to relinquishing as IU defended it’s No. 1 ranking with a 83-59 beatdown of No. 14 UNC.

Sophomore forward Cody Zeller led the Hoosiers with 20 points while juniors forward Will Sheehey and guard Victor Oladipo were close behind with 19 points each.

IU staked an early lead with 7 of its first 11 points supplied by sophomore forward Cody Zeller. The teams essentially traded baskets for several minutes to make the score 18-13 in Indiana’s favor before North Carolina rode a six-point run to its first lead of the game at 19-18.

The Hoosiers quickly responded with a three-point shot from senior guard Jordan Hulls, and never trailed after that, though the Tarheels did tie it at 23, 25, 27 and 31 at various points.

Despite a nifty backdoor move for a basket by Oladipo and a block by Zeller that swatted the ball into the stands, IU could not pull away until a pair of free throws by Oladipo – due to a Dexter Strickland flagrant foul – followed by a Zeller dunk tied what had been their biggest lead of the night at six points.

From there, the Hoosiers began to pile it on to end the half. Oladipo contributed another foul shot and a dunk as IU ran its lead to 44-35. All in all, four straight IU field goals were dunks as the Hoosiers closed the first half on a 15-6 run.

Several scoreless minutes started the second period before Indiana broke the drought with a dunk by Oladipo. From there, the Hoosiers simply made shot after shot, be it a Hulls jumper, Oladipo slam or anything in between.

Meanwhile, UNC made just one of its first 15 shots in the second half.

IU pushed its lead well into double figures and above 30, only dropping below that mark late in the game when the lineup consisted mostly of second-string underclassmen and walk-ons.

With a win against the Longhorns, the Wildcats would guarantee themselves a share of the Big 12 title and lock in a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.

The 7 p.m. game will mark the last time 27 senior Wildcats will suit up in front of their home crowd, and Snyder said they want the win.

“I think it would be very meaningful to them,” Snyder said. “It’s a lifelong memory, I’m sure. It’s something they could take a great deal of pride in because they had such a major role in it, having come through the program over a four- or five-year period of time.”

Snyder was not shy, however, about expressing his interest in regaining an actual Big 12 Championship game and reestablishing a two-division conference.

“I’ve always felt that way. I’m still a proponent of having two divisions and playing a championship game,” Snyder said.

The topic came up from the aftermath of conference realignment, which has begun to shake up the landscape of college athletics yet again.

The Big 10 Conference, which currently includes 12 teams, announced the addition of Rutgers and Maryland last week for an eventual 14-team conference.

The Big East followed suit, announcing Tuesday that beginning in 2014, the conference will add Tulane in all sports and East Carolina only in football.

K-State’s 73-year old coach used the first year following his return to the Wildcats’ sidelines as an example to explain his desire for a conference championship game.  That 2009 team was 6-5 going into the final regular season game against Nebraska with a chance to win the Big 12 North still in reach.

“In that system, people were still in the hunt, so to speak, and the fans continued to support them,” Snyder said. “It kept players excited about the opportunities that existed. It was a positive thing for the game.”

K-State Athletic Director John Currie said that while the Big 12 athletic directors talk about conference expansion frequently in their weekly conference call, adding teams just to keep up with other conferences is not a wise move.

“If you’re looking for fans truly receiving what they’re paying for with incredibly competitive games, once again the Big 12 has delivered that and people are recognizing that,” Currie said. “We are where we are with a very strong 10-team league. Ninety percent of our teams in our league are bowl-eligible right now and nobody else in college football has that.”

Snyder, who often advises his team not to look too far ahead, said his preferences do not hold much weight in decisions regarding conference expansion.

“I’m one of 10 [head coaches]. I haven’t been on a soapbox campaigning for it. It’ll be what it will be. Somebody else will make those decisions,” Snyder said. “If it were to go to 12, I understand that it would be a difficult process of being able to identify how the logistics would work and what teams would come in. But that’s way down the road, I think.”

However, the Fighting Irish should not be suiting up against Alabama or Georgia.

Florida should be playing Notre Dame for the crystal football.

Now before you go H.A.M. on my inbox and call me an idiot, just relax for a second.

I’m not saying the Gators are necessarily better than the Crimson Tide. And as far as the Bulldogs are concerned, well, y’all saw what happened in Jacksonville on Oct. 27.

But in this messed up, no-good joke of a postseason that the BCS forces upon college football every year, it’s all about the resume.

And Florida has one hell of a body of work.

The first item to consider is strength of schedule, and UF wins this three-way battle in a landslide that conjures up images of the vinegar-baking soda volcanoes we all used to make in elementary school.

The Gators have defeated four teams currently ranked among the top 15 in the BCS standings. Two of those victories were fourth-quarter comebacks on the road.

The first rally came against Texas A&M and Heisman frontrunner Johnny Manziel. The second was against Florida State, the likely Atlantic Coast Conference champions.

The other two wins were dominant performances against top-10 squads at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. UF outmuscled and wore down LSU on the line of scrimmage. Two weeks later, the Gators punched Steve Spurrier and South Carolina in the mouth.

Meanwhile, Alabama and Georgia have a combined 2-2 record against the top 15 teams in the BCS.

Let’s branch out to the bigger picture by taking a look at the overall schedule for each team. Eight of Florida’s opponents this season are bowl eligible.

In all, the Gators’ 12 opponents are 92-50 this season, which averages out to 8-4.

Only five Georgia foes will be eligible to receive a bowl bid. That includes Georgia Tech, which will need to request a special exception once a likely defeat in the ACC Championship Game drops it to 6-7.

Alabama boasts a more respectable slate with six bowl-eligible opponents, but take into consideration that its opposite-division draws were Tennessee and Missouri.

Georgia nabbed Ole Miss and Auburn, and Florida got stuck with Texas A&M and LSU.

The average opponent the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs faced this season was 6-6.

Regardless of schedule, each team took care of business like great teams do. But how did each squad fare in its one bad game?

In other words, who has the best loss?

Again, Florida wins with little contest.

The Crimson Tide fell flat on their trunks from the get-go and had no answer for Manziel and the Aggies, falling behind 20-0 in a 29-24 defeat on Nov. 10 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama let a freshman quarterback take over Tuscaloosa like it was nothing.

At least Georgia’s loss came on the road to a top-10 team, but the positivity ends there. The Gamecocks destroyed the Bulldogs, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and surrendering UGA’s lone touchdown with 1:55 left to play — garbage time.

UF’s loss — albeit to Georgia — was a one-score defeat at a neutral site. While the game was an anomaly for both teams, Florida was competitive from wire to wire.

The Gators clearly have a better claim than both the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide to play for it all in Miami. The one obstacle in UF’s way is its failure to win the SEC.

But even with a win in the SEC title game, Alabama and Georgia still play second fiddle to Florida when it comes to the overall resume.

Conference championships simply do not matter in the big picture anymore.

Just ask the Crimson Tide, who won last year’s national title despite not playing in the SEC Championship Game. The Fighting Irish are the nation’s top-ranked team, and the school is an independent in football.

The BCS is egregious, offensive and unfair.

When UF is left on the outside looking in, it certainly won’t be the first deserving school shafted by the system. Auburn should have advanced ahead of Oklahoma in 2004, and Texas should have played Florida for the national title instead of Oklahoma in 2008.

Frankly, all three of the SEC’s one-loss teams should be part of an eight-team playoff to determine the national champion, but that would make sense and people would be happy.

The BCS doesn’t exist to produce an honest and deserving champion. It’s shortsighted.

Luckily, this whole sham will be revamped in 2014, and we won’t have to worry about which two teams are the most deserving. More contenders will earn a legitimate shot.

But as long as we’re forced to pick only two teams to play for the national title, it might as well be the squads that have performed the best against elite competition.

This year, those teams are Notre Dame and Florida.

No. 1 Notre Dame had risen to the task for the 12th time this season, and now a championship berth in Miami awaits the undefeated Irish following a 22-13 defeat of archrival USC (7-5).

“It was as you would’ve expected,” Kelly said of the postgame scene in the locker room. “There was a lot of singing, dancing. It was what you would expect it to be for a team that’s this close and has won so many games in that fashion. It was fun to be in there.”

With the conquest of the Trojans, the Irish will play the winner of Saturday’s SEC championship game between No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta. A win would secure Notre Dame’s first national championship since 1988, with the current 24-year drought serving as the longest in program history since the Irish won their first in 1924.

Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick, who hired Kelly nearly 36 months ago, had one word for the feeling as he celebrated with players on the field.

“Phenomenal.”

The Irish held their opponent to fewer than 20 points for the 11th time this season, and the final instance might have been the most impressive, even with USC quarterback Matt Barkley watching from the sidelines with a shoulder injury. Outside of a 53-yard reception by sophomore Marqise Lee, the Notre Dame secondary largely held the receiver and his talented teammate, Robert Woods, in check.

“I think Notre Dame showed me they have phenomenal senior leadership,” embattled USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “You can see those guys understand the game and they really play well together. They’re really physical and pretty old school — that’s why they have so many close scores — but they don’t screw up. You have to play really well to beat them. They don’t hand you things.”

Leading by nine points with a little more than five minutes remaining, Notre Dame’s defense buckled down and held USC out of the end zone with another iconic goal-line stand. The Irish took over on downs with 2:33 remaining after a dropped pass by fullback Soma Vainuku, a symbol of how the archrivals’ fortunes have changed since last season’s 31-17 USC victory at Notre Dame Stadium.

“If you followed us at all this year, that was how we play,” Kelly said. “We come up big defensively at sometime during the game. We did that again. Unbelievable goal-line stand to hold any program, any team … to get inside your two and come up with a great goal-line stand.”

Notre Dame’s offense outgained USC’s 439 yards to 281 and more than doubled the Trojans’ rushing output. Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson and senior running back Theo Riddick fueled the Irish offense, with the former once again showing no nerves on the road and the latter breaking countless tackles to secure precious yardage and field position.

Golson completed 15 of 26 passes for 217 yards and added another 47 rushing yards as he improved to 10-0 in his first season as a starter.

“He’s making better decisions with the football,” Kelly said. “I guess the difference is he’s not careless with the football. Careless I can’t take. He’s going to make some bad decisions every once in a while, but he’s not careless with the football.

“We couldn’t win the game if we were going to control the game [in a conservative] fashion. I felt all week that you can’t come in here hoping that USC doesn’t play well. You’ve got to come in here and take it from them. Our gameplan was to let [Golson] play.”

Golson engineered scoring drives on Notre Dame’s first three possessions, as the Irish jumped out to a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter. As has been the case during much of the season, Notre Dame stalled inside the red zone, one of the points Kelly said he needs to address during the six weeks and two days leading up to the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7.

“It means there’s things we still need to work on,” said Kelly of an offense that scored just one touchdown in six red-zone appearances. “We’re not a perfect team. We know that. Here’s what we like: We know that’s going to get better as our quarterback matures.”

But sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza converted five of six attempted field goals, the longest of which he booted from 52 yards out to give the Irish a 16-10 halftime lead.

“I know [Kelly] has confidence in me and it’s a great thing to have from a coach, rather than having a coach trying to rip your head off,” Brindza said. “He’s a great guy and is able to go up to everyone, even if they made a mistake and be able to talk to them about what you did wrong and what you did right and be able to instill the confidence that you’re going to go out there the next time and do the right thing.”

Brindza contributed with a key special teams tackle as well. Lee, a Heisman candidate, found a seam in the Irish kickoff coverage with the Irish up 22-13 with 5:58 remaining in the game, but it was the Notre Dame kicker who forced the speedster out of bounds at the Trojan 45.

“That was one of my nightmares all week,” said Brindza on being the last man between Lee and the end zone. “It was a nightmare and when Lee was running up, I was a deer in the headlights. It was like a nightmare coming back to me, but then I turned it off and I realized I had to make the tackle and I was glad I was able to help my team.”

After the ensuing goal-line stand and expiration of the clock minutes later, senior linebacker Manti Te’o, who recorded his seventh interception of the season in the third quarter, found his coach in the tunnel and had a simple message for him.

“I said, ‘I love you.’ I love him,” Te’o said. “[Our relationship] was bumpy at first, but it’s great [now]. I’m happy to be part of this and have him as our coach. He’s the best coach in college football.”

Te’o said the Irish reached a goal with the 12-0 regular-season finish, but that there’s one remaining chapter in the 2012 book yet to be written.

“We’ve brought a lot of pride back to Notre Dame,” he said. “I’m grateful to be a part of it.

“We’re the best team. We’re No. 1.”

Notre Dame will have the opportunity to finish as the best team and win 13 games for the first time in program history at the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 against either No. 2 Alabama or No. 3 Georgia.

Seven days after a season-deflating home loss to Stanford, No. 6 Oregon ran by No. 16 Oregon State 48-24 Saturday afternoon in Corvallis, showcasing a powerful running attack and converting sloppy turnovers by the Beavers in the 116th Civil War. Oregon senior running back Kenjon Barner churned out 198 yards, most of them in the first half, and sophomore De’Anthony Thomas added another 122 as Oregon gouged Oregon State for a 6.7 yards-per-carry average.

The win puts Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) back in the hunt for a fourth-straight Pac-12 Championship, a feat not seen since USC’s five-year dominance in the mid-naughts. Head coach Chip Kelly said there was no secret to bouncing back from the team’s only regular-season loss of the year.

“We ran the same plays we run every week,” Chip Kelly said after the game. “The blocking was just better (today).”

It was all Ducks right from the start. On Oregon’s first offensive possession, redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota took a quarterback draw through a huge hole up the middle before outracing Oregon State’s secondary for a 42-yard touchdown.

“(The play) was a design that the coaches had,” Mariota said. “They came out in a look we had practiced against all week, and it just so happened the offensive line opened a hole, and I got to run through it.”

The quick strike set the early pace of the game and answered questions about how Mariota would perform following his first loss as a starter. The Hawaii native said he enjoyed the Civil War setting, with Reser Stadium packed to the rafters with a school-record 47,249 in attendance.

“You kind of don’t realize it until you step out onto the field,” Mariota said. “It was a fun atmosphere. The fans can be a little rough, but the guys handled it, and it is just one of those atmospheres where you want to play.”

In addition to his 85 yards rushing, Mariota was 17-for-24 through the air, with 140 yards and a touchdown. But with all the holes banged-up offensive line was opening, Mariota didn’t need to do much more than hand the ball off to Kenjon Barner or another Oregon back.

Barner, who ran for more than 100 yards in the first quarter alone, played with looked to be an abdominal injury in the second half. Team personnel, as usual, refused to comment on the injury, only saying it was “minor.”

“Kenjon’s always been a warrior,” Kelly said. “He responds when he’s called upon, and that’s what makes him a special guy.”

Oregon State (8-3, 6-3) would battle back and trail only three in the third quarter. But Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion’s four interceptions proved too costly. Add the special-teams miscues, and it was simply too much for the Beavers to handle. The win was Oregon’s fifth straight in the rivalry.

Turnover on downs.

Oklahoma State had already scored more points — 45 — than it had in a Bedlam game since 1945, and the Cowboys had the ball with 7:07 left and a touchdown’s lead against the Sooners.

All Oklahoma State had to do was earn a few first downs and run the ball to burn time off the clock. The Cowboys had rushed effectively against the Sooners all night, totaling 202 net yards to push the rushing total allowed by the Sooners to 912 in just three games.

First down.

OSU junior running back Joseph Randle, who had been electric with 114 yards and four touchdowns, was stuffed up the middle for a one-yard loss.

Second down.

Junior quarterback Clint Chelf, who had passed for 253 yards and rushed for 81 more, looked for freshman receiver Blake Webb on an out route but missed.

Third down.

The whole stadium was on the edge of going crazy. If OU held just one more time, the Sooners would get another shot to tie the game. Oklahoma had never led the contest after falling behind, 14-3, in the first quarter but had forced ties at 17 and 38 points.

On third and long, Chelf saw OU sophomore Julian Wilson charging at him and released the ball deep downfield for sophomore wide receiver Josh Stewart.

Incomplete. Fourth down.

The Pokes burned less than a minute off the clock and faced punting back to junior Jalen Saunders, who just moments before had returned one 81 yards for a touchdown. But senior Quinn Sharp booted it 58 yards and coverage held, forcing the Sooners to start the possession at their own 14-yard line.

Oklahoma had broken a slew of school records on offense — including receivers with 100-plus yards (three) and receivers with 10-plus receptions (two) — and was approaching new records for passing completions and passing attempts. However, OU had struggled to run the ball effectively and maintain drives all the way to the end zone.

But senior quarterback Landry Jones drove the Sooners down the field, completing 7-of-9 passes to get inside the Oklahoma State 30-yard line. The Sooners hadn’t had much luck inside the 30, letting several drives stall and settling for field goals (with one miss). This time — down, 45-38 — OU had to have a touchdown.

The Cowboys hadn’t allowed an offensive touchdown since the first half, holding OU to a pair of field goals and Saunders’ punt-return score.

Oklahoma inched its way into the red zone and called a timeout with 47 seconds left. The sell-out crowd of 85,824 wondered if the Sooners had enough left in the tank to pull off a second-straight comeback win after surviving a 50-49 scare in Morgantown seven days prior.

Jones found senior Justin Brown for an eight-yard gain to advance to the OSU 4-yard line, but his next to Shepard hit the turf. Jones, who threw 71 times for 500 yards and three touchdowns, came out and sophomore Blake Bell came in.

The Sooners hadn’t used Bell as much as previous weeks, opting to leave in Jones for short-yardage situations several times throughout the game, and the “Belldozer” was a little shaken after causing a crucial fumble inside the red zone the previous quarter, when OU only trailed by four.

Yet Bell trotted out. On fourth down with 10 seconds to go, a yard to gain and the game on the line, Bell swept around the left side. OSU junior linebacker Caleb Lavey came shooting through the line and dove at Bell’s legs. The burly 254-pounder brushed off the tackle and lunged for the end zone.

Touchdown. Bedlam would go to overtime for the first time in history.

The Sooners won the toss and elected to defend. OSU quickly made its way from the 25-yard line to the 13 before it hit a wall. Chelf missed Stewart before finding him for a four-yard gain. Nine yards from the end zone, Chelf’s pass to junior Blake Jackson was denied, and the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal.

48-45, Oklahoma State.

Junior fullback Trey Millard barreled forward for a seven-yard gain to open the Sooners’ overtime possession. A field goal would force another overtime period; a touchdown would end the game.

Prior to Bell’s rumble to force overtime, Oklahoma had only rushed 27 times for a meager 81 yards, but — as co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said after the game — the Sooners wanted to punch it in on the ground.

Jones got the snap, swiveled and handed it to Brennan Clay. The junior running back had been used only sparingly this season, not eclipsing 200 yards until filling in for injured starter Damien Williams against Iowa State.

Clay covered the ball with his arms and started forward, seeing the walls start to close around him as Oklahoma State linemen fought to get around blocks and tear him apart. Clay burst through the line, wriggling through pairs of 300-pounders fighting like huge elk locking antlers, and saw daylight.

He collided with OSU junior safety Daytawion Lowe, who had a full head of steam after recognizing the run early, but bounced off the tackle.

He had one man to beat — junior safety Shamiel Gary. Gary lunged at Clay’s legs, too far behind the back to tackle him properly but close enough that a well-timed assault would entangle and drop the California native short of the goal line.

At the last second, Clay changed direction and strayed right, leaving Gary to grasp desperately at cleats as Clay skipped into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

Clay threw the ball in the air as his teammates stormed the field. Junior wide receiver Kenny Stills, who caught the game-winner against West Virginia the week before, sprinted straight for Clay, one of his best friends. He screamed encouragement at his teammate as more Sooners piled into the end-zone huddle, jumping around as fireworks erupted from the stadium’s rim and the crowd lost its mind.

With the 51-48 stunning win, Oklahoma stayed in the hunt for a Big 12 title and sent its seniors out with a final victory on Owen Field.

Oklahoma State had put together one of its best games in school history against its bitter rival, yet all the Cowboys could do was walk off the field amid the biggest party in the state of Oklahoma — and it wasn’t for them.

Bedlam indeed.

O’Brien is the seventh coach to have his tenure end since Athletics Director Debbie Yow has been at the helm. He is owed $1.2 million over four years in his buyout.

“I appreciate the opportunity to have coached at North Carolina State University and I feel that the program is in a better place now than when I started,” O’Brien stated in a press release. “I’m proud of the young men that I have coached here, for their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom.”

“I had high hopes this year, as did coach O’Brien,” Yow said.

According to Yow, the two met early Sunday and she made her decision that afternoon.

O’Brien led the Wolfpack to three consecutive bowl victories and three appearances in his six years at State. The Pack is bowl eligible this season and offensive coordinator Dana Bible will serve as the interim head coach for the game. Bible was also the offensive coordinator of Boston College, where O’Brien held a head coaching job prior to arriving at State in 2006.

“I know I didn’t see it coming,” Bible said. “As a coach you are focused on the now. He’s very proud of the programs we’ve built. He’s very proud of the way we’ve gone about the business of football and he’ll let his record stand as a man.”

Bible added, “We’re going to prepare ourselves and get ourselves successful to win the bowl game.”

A 40-35 overall record, including eight wins against Football Championship Division opponents, was not enough to carry his job into next season.The former head coach held a 22-26 record in the ACC and 11-19 in the Atlantic Division. His only road victory in the division came in this season’s bout with Maryland, which was decided by the Terrapins missing a last-second field goal. O’Brien had a lone winning season in the ACC in 2010. The Pack went 5-3 in the conference and finished the season with a No. 25 national ranking.

State was also a sub-500 team against other Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, posting a 32-35 record.

Yow said the program has created a search committee to find O’Brien’s successor. The program is seeking a coach with a proven track record, but is also considering coordinators as candidates.

Yow included academic integrity, citizenship, ability to recruit top players and building the program into a top-25 program as the defining factors in finding the next coach. Acquiring the best players in North Carolina will be the focus of the program’s future recruiting efforts, according to Yow.

She also said there were many factors in the decision to dismiss him, including losing 1,000 season-ticket holders this season.

The players received the news from a variety of sources, but the definitive voice came when Yow called a meeting at 3 p.m. to deliver the news to the student athletes.

“I was absolutely shocked,” senior center Camden Wentz said. “It was a crazy 24 hours of emotions. Even though he’s not going to be on the field with [us], we’re his players, so he coached us to be a certain way.”

“Me, personally, I want to win this game for O’Brien,” junior defensive back Dontae Johnson said. “I also want to win this for this university. It’s going to be a struggle to get over the fact that the guy that recruited me to come here is no longer here.”

Johnson also said that he will stay with the program despite the coaching change.

Amid a college football landscape of academic dishonesty and players receiving improper benefits, the program will receive an Academic Progress Rate score of 990 in the spring.

In a meeting on Sunday between Frank Spaziani and athletic director Brad Bates, Spaziani was told that we was being relieved of his duties as head coach of the Eagles, effective immediately. Bates said that the decision was based on the season as a whole, which ended with a 2-10 record.

“[The decision] was made at the conclusion of the season yesterday,” Bates said. “It’s been an assessment that’s been ongoing since my arrival here. It’s been an evaluation of a body of work, and not a game-to-game emotional decision.”

Bates lauded Spaziani for his integrity and passion for the program, but in the end, the firing came down to wins and losses.

“Ultimately, all of us our measured on our performance,” Bates said. “When you’re working in a profession of athletics, winning is a very big factor in that performance.

“Spaz clearly is a man of integrity. He genuinely cared about his students. And the performance obviously in the last couple of years has struggled.”

The announcement ended Spaziani’s 16-year career in Chestnut Hill, one that was marked by a highly regarded 10-year tenure as defensive coordinator before he took over for four years as head coach. He leaves with an overall record of 21-29 while at the helm.

“Obviously this is a sad day for my family and me,” Spaziani said in a statement. “Boston College has been my home for more than 16 years, and I have been fortunate to work with some amazing student-athletes. I will always treasure my relationships with them and the BC staff.  Boston College is a tremendous place, and I am extremely thankful for my time there. I wish the current and future Eagles nothing but the best.”

Bates’ conversation with Spaziani was a difficult one, but said the coach handled it well.

“Just like you would expect him to—with complete class and dignity and professionalism,” Bates said. “He’s a special guy. Think about this—he gave a quarter of his life to Boston College.

“Frank’s fingerprints will be felt around this University for many years to come. He’s influenced people who will go out and influence others. The values that he taught those young men will continue to live on for perpetuity.”

While he did not talk to any of the players to consider their opinions on the matter before making the decision, Bates was the first to tell them of the announcement. He gathered the team into a room in the Yawkey Center and notified them of the decision. Bates said that he and Spaziani felt that this was the best way to deliver the news, and that Spaziani would meet with players, likely on a one-on-one basis throughout the coming week.

Now, Bates will begin a search for Spaziani’s replacement, and he is looking for three main factors in the process while considering candidates.

“One is we want someone that oozes with integrity,” Bates said. “Secondly, we want somebody who genuinely and sincerely cares about the students, particularly their intellectual development and will engage in facilitating their maximum development as scholars, as athletes, as leaders, as servers. The third thing is we want someone who is going to win.”

While he won’t limit the list of candidates to coaches who have head coaching experience, Bates said that factor could play a role in the final decision.

“There are a lot of very talented coaches out there that have not had head coaching experience,” he said. “Having said that, if all else is equal, that would clearly distinguish them.”

Bates does not have a specific timetable for the new hiring, but wants to move as quickly as possible while being sure to make the best decision.

“We’ll move as quickly as possible, but we will be very, very deliberate,” Bates said. “This is an incredibly significant hire, relative to the leadership of our department and our program. So we’ve got to make absolute sure we get the best fit for what this program needs right now.”

While many were concerned about BC falling behind in the head coach hiring race, with other schools making midseason firings, and now a solid list of schools with openings—Auburn, NC State, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, California—Bates said an AD is always prepared, and he already has a list of candidates.

“Any athletic director in the country is prepared for any change that takes place,” Bates said. “Does it mean that people on the list will ultimately be the ones that are hired or interviewed? Of course not. But we’ve got to perpetually be prepared for any attrition that takes place.”

While there is plenty of competition out there for head coaches, Bates said that he thought BC would stand out to the right kind of candidate that he is looking for.

“There may be candidate competition, but I think you’ll see that BC is a very unique place,” Bates said. “The types of people that will be very attracted to this situation, because of its uniqueness, will stand out.”

“There are a lot of great coaches out there, but not every great coach is a perfect fit for Boston College. We’ve got to identify who that person is that brings those three characteristics and fits within our current context of needs for the program.”

No matter who takes over as head coach, there will be a certain adjustment that will need to take place among the entire team. The biggest thing will be the new mentality the coach will instill in his players, but the new coach also usually comes with a new staff.

The offense has been through four offensive coordinators in the past three years, and it could see its fifth in four years if current offensive coordinator Doug Martin is not retained by the incoming head coach. Bates said that was a concern, but that a good head coach could make up for that instability.

“It’s always a concern,” Bates said. “Whenever you have a lack of continuity, then that presents a challenge for the next staff to try and connect the dots on that inconsistency in terms of scheme vocabulary. At the same time, if you get the right coach, and they can connect the dots, you’ve been exposed to multiple ways of viewing that football field that not everyone gets a chance to experience. I think the potential can be a great opportunity in the hands of a very talented coach.”

Concerning the current coaching staff and all of the assistants, Bates said as of right now they will play out their full contracts, but a new coach could come in and change that.

“They’re still employed by Boston College and will be so until the end of their contracts,” Bates said. “The new staff will have autonomy on who they would want to retain beyond the contracts’ expiration dates. I suspect there will be some that will stay on and some that will move on.”

No current assistant coach will be considered for the head coaching job, Bates said.

As far as the details of working out Spaziani’s contract, which has three years remaining on it, Bates would not go into the details of what a possible buyout might be, but said he’d do what is in the best interest of the students, the program, and the team.

Though Bates has only been the AD at BC for just over a month, he knew this was a decision he had to make, though it wasn’t about making his stamp on the athletic department and University.

“It’s not really about me,” Bates said. “It’s not about my stamp. This is about a football program that has a storied history and tradition. It’s about the players that have come here in the past and the level of achievement and standards that they have set for us to live by daily, and it’s about our current and future students that are in this program. I’m really a caretaker of the great things that have happened in the past of this program and hopefully a catalyst to returning to the high standards.”

Thousand-yard rusher Tre Mason noted how heartbroken many of the players are.

“It was a rough day for everybody. There’s going to be a lot of tears shed because there’s a lot of relationships that may be put on hold or come to and end today,” said Mason. “I have nothing negative to say about coach Chizik because he’s done a lot for me and for this program. I wish him the best of luck in his future.”

Mason went into the Iron Bowl on Saturday needing 80 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Auburn retook possession with 11 seconds remaining when Chizik told Mason he would get him the mark with one more carry.

“It just shows you what kind of guy he is. He sticks to his word, and he told me, ‘we’re going to go ahead and get you 1000 yards,’” Mason said. “We were in the last seconds of the game, and everybody gave their all. Everybody’s pushing me in my back, trying to get me those extra yards.”

Jeffrey Whitaker said he thinks what the next coach needs to do to be successful is follow a lot of the game plan that Chizik followed. But he also said the players could see the dismissal coming.

“When you go through a season 3-9, you kind of see the writing on the wall, but at the same time everybody just wants to stick with each other,” Whitaker said. “At the end of the day, we kind of recruited each other, so we’re very aware of each other, and we just want to stick with each other.”

Phillip Lutzenkirchen said he knows Chizik is disappointed in himself.

“He’s very hard on himself, and he knew as commander-in-chief of this program that three wins wasn’t going to cut it either,” Lutzenkirchen said. “It was an emotional meeting. I think we did what he deserved and gave him a standing ovation.”

Lutzenkirchen echoed a common theme from the year’s post-game press conferences, saying that although the coaches will the ones taking the majority of the blame, it’s the players who are on the field.

“Coach Chizik is going to take all the blame for it, but at the same time, we’re the ones playing the game, and we’re the ones out there. We’re giving our best effort, but our best effort wasn’t good enough,” he said. “It’s tough. There’s a lot of mixed emotions going on, but it’s what Auburn has to do right now, and we just have to look forward.

“There’s so much love for coach Chizik from this team,” he continued. “Would we have loved to see him get another year, another opportunity? Yes, but at the same time we understand where Jay Jacobs is coming from.”

Here are the full statements released by Chizik and Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs:

Gene Chizik

I am very grateful for the opportunity that I had during the last four seasons to serve as the head football coach at Auburn University. I’m extremely disappointed with the way this season turned out and I apologize to the Auburn family and our team for what they have had to endure.

In my 27 years of coaching, I have gained an understanding of the high expectations in this profession. When expectations are not met, I understand changes must be made.

While we experienced a tremendous low in 2012, I will always be proud of the incredible highs that we achieved, including three bowl victories, an SEC championship and a national championship.

I want to thank Dr. Gogue and Jay Jacobs for the great opportunity they gave me. I’m confident in their leadership ability to continue to move this football program forward.

I feel blessed to have been surrounded with so many great coaches, players and administrators that have worked relentlessly and dedicated themselves to this institution. I will miss not being able to continue to mentor these players on a daily basis. I’m confident these young men will continue to excel both on and off the field. They are a great group and I wish them nothing but the best.

I’ve been fortunate to spend seven years of my coaching career at Auburn, which is an incredible place to work and live. My family and I have been blessed to call Auburn home and look forward to remaining in the Auburn community.

I have said this many times, but the Auburn fans are the best in college football. They have an incredible passion and love for their school and I want to thank them for their support in good times and in bad times.

As I said four years ago when I arrived, Auburn was great way before we got here and it will remain great long after we leave. My sentiments about Auburn have not and will not change. I wish the next football coach all the best and I anticipate a smooth transition.

I encourage the Auburn family to continue to be ‘All In’ and support this great university and its athletics programs. War Eagle!

Jay Jacobs

Dear Auburn Family,

First and foremost, I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have reached out to me in recent days and weeks to express your concerns about our football program. You are the best fans in the country, and I appreciate your passion and love for Auburn University.

We have talked a lot in recent years about building the foundation it takes to consistently compete at a high level in the nation’s toughest conference. Despite substantial investment in personnel and facilities made possible by your support, the football program did not live up to our expectations. The results of the 2012 football season are simply unacceptable at Auburn.

After suffering some tough losses in a transition year in 2011, we had hoped our team would show improvement this season. Unfortunately, it has not. The competition in our league is fierce and is currently at an all-time high, and we cannot risk falling further behind by waiting another year and hoping for improvement.

That is why after careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of our football program, I have recommended that Coach Gene Chizik not be retained. President Gogue has accepted my recommendation. Earlier this morning, I informed Coach Chizik that he will not return as head coach.

My primary consideration in making this recommendation was doing what is in the best interests of our current student-athletes and the future of our football program. That has always been my top priority, and it always will be.

While I am disappointed that Coach Chizik’s career here has come to an end we will long cherish the memories of our first National Championship in 53 years. Gene and his staff will always be a part of the Auburn Family, and we wish them and their families the best.

This season demonstrated that we need a different direction to get where we want to go. We will move as quickly as possible in our search for a new Head Coach, guided by the benchmarks President Gogue and I expect. Those benchmarks are a track record as a proven winner, a commitment to playing within the rules and student-athlete academic success.

I am pleased to announce that we have put together an outstanding search committee to find our next head coach. The committee consists of several great Auburn leaders who share our commitment to competing at the highest level and who understand what it takes to succeed at Auburn. I am honored that Mac Crawford, Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan have agreed to join our efforts to find the best coach possible for our student-athletes, the students of Auburn University and the Auburn Family. I’m proud to be part of this distinguished group.

A press conference will be held later today to formally announce this change. In the days ahead, you can expect rumors to swirl and inaccurate reports to surface about who is under consideration to be our next Head Coach. That is the nature of coaching searches at this level. I will not respond to rumors or speculative reports during the search process, but I do look forward to announcing our new Head Coach once the search is complete.

I regret that the Auburn Family, and especially our season ticket holders and Tigers Unlimited donors, have had to endure a frustrating and difficult season. You expect and deserve better.

It is time to heal and turn the page to the next chapter of Auburn football. It is time to pull together and forge ahead to the brighter future that awaits us.

We have endured tough times before, and we have always emerged stronger. I have no doubt that will be our course once again.

God Bless and War Eagle!

No. 4 Florida scored 24 straight points in the second half to pull out a come-from-behind 37-26 victory against No. 10 Florida State on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The Gators’ offensive outburst came after falling behind the Seminoles 20-13 with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter.

“We kept saying the second half is our half,” nose tackle Omar Hunter said. “No matter what, (the) second half is our half. We got to finish the game in the fourth quarter. That is the most important quarter, because you got to finish and we came out and did that.”

Said linebacker Jelani Jenkins: “A lot of the games this year proved that we weren’t a soft team.”

Few can question Florida’s resiliency, especially after halftime.

This is the team that shut down Heisman hopeful Johnny Manziel in the second half of a 20-17 victory against Texas A&M on Sept. 8. In a 14-6 win against LSU on Oct. 6, the Gators simply wore down the defending Southeastern Conference champions.

And against rival Florida State in front of a hostile crowd with potential BCS National Championship Game aspirations on the line, Florida dominated the final 20 minutes.

“When we go on the road, our goal is to empty the stadium,” quarterback Jeff Driskel said. “That’s what we did.”

The Gators’ late rally was a product of their style. Muschamp’s mark on Florida shined brightly as UF prevailed against FSU by controlling the ground game, playing tough defense and winning the turnover battle.

Florida notched a plus-four turnover margin, outgained Florida State 244-112 in the ground game and limiting the Seminoles to just 5.3 plays for 26.4 yards per drive during the second half.

“We knew adversity was going to come, and we stayed positive,” cornerback Marcus Roberson said. “We know things like that are going to happen in the game. We just have to fight through every time. It just shows we are a tough team, and in the second half, we come out strong.”

But after a second half spent looking for answers that ultimately eluded them, the Wolverines could only trudge away solemnly, their mood mirrored by the still-gray heavens above them. Hundreds of Ohio State students and fans rushed past them onto the field once the clock read zeroes, fueled by the kind of euphoria that can only result from a win in this game.

The Buckeyes pulled ahead in the third quarter and stayed ahead, kneeling away a hard-fought, 26-21 victory, with Michigan (6-2 Big Ten, 8-4 overall) powerless to do anything about it.

“It hurt,” said fifth-year senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree. “We have to look at film and look at the mistakes that we made.”

The early action on Saturday seemed to promise a high-scoring affair, which has been something of an aberration over the history of this rivalry.

Ohio State (8-0, 12-0) needed just six plays to score the game’s first touchdown, a four-yard run by bruising running back Carlos Hyde after a rapid drive down the field. But the Wolverines answered on their second possession when junior quarterback Devin Gardner found Roundtree for a 75-yard catch-and-run and the tying score.

It was the type of dynamic play that characterized the Michigan attack before halftime. Like last week against Iowa, the team utilized both of its main quarterbacks — Gardner was the traditional passer, and senior Denard Robinson was a running quarterback. The combination was in sync throughout the first half and a spectacular, 67-yard run by Robinson helped the Wolverines seize a 21-20 lead at halftime.

Michigan wouldn’t score again. The team gained just 60 yards in the second half—the two-quarterback system, run with such efficiency for the previous six quarters, ceased to function.

“Too many turnovers,” Robinson said of the second-half woes. “We had three turnovers in the second half. In order for you to win this game, you gotta control the ball, hold on to the ball.”

Robinson and Gardner both lost fumbles, in the third quarter and fourth quarter, respectively. (Gardner also lost a fumble in the first half.)

But the real back-breaker was Gardner’s interception on what turned out to be the team’s final drive of the game. The junior often found receivers for long completions down the field on Saturday, but this was also Gardner’s most mistake-ridden game when it came to taking sacks and missing receivers.

The Wolverines’ defense was solid for most of the afternoon, often put in tough spots in the second half because of the offense’s sudden ineptitude. Dynamic Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller found success through the air but was contained on the ground.

Hyde, though, wasn’t contained. The running back torched Michigan’s defense for 146 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, constantly cutting through the middle of the front seven. It was Hyde who clinched the game for Ohio State, bursting forward for a gain of 13 yards on 3rd-and-7 with just several minutes remaining on the drive after Gardner’s interception.

“(Hyde) out-leveraged us a couple times in there because of what we wanted to do, which was a little different,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “It worked in the first half pretty well. Didn’t tackle very well, I didn’t think, from that standpoint. He’s a big back, and I didn’t think we wrapped him up on the first hit a couple times like we needed to.”

“He ran the ball hard,” added fifth-year senior safety Jordan Kovacs. “We didn’t get enough hats to the ball.”

The offense’s woeful second half could be blamed partially on play calling.

On the Wolverines’ first drive after halftime, Hoke elected to go for it on fourth-and-two from Michigan’s 48-yard line. The Wolverines then faced third-and-short on each of their next three drives,

Offensive coordinator Al Borges called a running play each time, and each time, Michigan failed to convert.

“You gotta look at where you’re at and what you feel you may have an opportunity,” Hoke said of the three calls. “Upstairs you see a lot of different things.”

The Wolverines were in no mood to second guess or dwell on missed opportunities after the game. Their faces were somber, and they spoke with the low voices one would expect after they let a rival beat them and complete an undefeated season in doing so.

Hoke talked briefly of the future, of the freshmen and other underclassmen that “will remember” this loss and use it as motivation.

But nothing could ease the pain of today.

“You don’t want to come down here and lose,” a weary Kovacs said. “That’s about all I can say about it.”

Unfortunately, the Trojans were once again bedeviled by inopportune miscues en route to a 22-13 loss before a sellout crowd of 93,607 fans, many of whom were cheering on the Irish’s special season.

“It’s very difficult for everyone in our locker room with so many things not going well this season,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “I was hoping today we would finish different with the backup quarterback and be part of history, knocking [Notre Dame] out of the national championship game.”

Continuing their recent trend of slow starts, the Trojans quickly fell behind 10-0 — a week after digging themselves a 24-point hole to UCLA in the first half. After Kyle Brindza’s 27-yard field goal on the first series and a fruitless drive for USC on its first possession, Notre Dame rattled off a 12-play, 87-yard drive, which tailback Theo Riddick capped with a nine-yard touchdown scamper after the Irish converted three separate third-down opportunities. On the evening, Riddick rushed for 146 yards on 20 carries and accounted for the Irish’s only touchdown.

“They were powerful today,” sophomore linebacker Hayes Pullard said of the Notre Dame offense. “It was electrifying out there; kudos to most of their offensive linemen. They recognized our defense, and got up to the second level and were able to run up and down.”

Undeterred, redshirt freshman quarterback Max Wittek, after missing his first three passes in the previous series, roared back with five consecutive completions in a drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Robert Woods.

“Woody’s a great receiver, and he’s so smart,” Wittek said. “He knows defenses, so it’s easy to be on the same page with a guy like that.”

During the Senior Day festivities before the contest, senior quarterback Matt Barkley strode out of the Coliseum tunnel in street clothes, stopping to embrace Kiffin, before flashing the victory ‘V’ sign to the Coliseum faithful.

Kiffin momentarily choked up upon describing the scene in his post-game media session.

“It’s just wrong,” Kiffin said of Barkley’s injury. “That shouldn’t have happened to that kid. I just felt for him, my heart just felt for him. That kid didn’t deserve for it to end like that.”

Wittek, Barkley’s replacement, valiantly faced the steep challenge of facing the NCAA’s No. 1 scoring defense — Notre Dame only allowed 10.1 points per game entering the game — and subbing in for the legendary Barkley.

“Obviously the circumstances with Matt not being able to play in the game is what really sucks about it,” said Wittek, who finished his starting debut 14 of 23 for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. “Looking at him, being with him the past five to six years at Mater Dei and then here … for him to not be able to play in this rivalry game — this last home game — was pretty sad.”

Notre Dame and USC proceeded to trade field goals in their ensuing possessions before USC possessed the ball with 1:25 remaining in the first half and trailing by three points.

Wittek squandered the opportunity to pull USC ahead, however, as he lofted a pass — intended for sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee — approximately 70 yards down field that Notre Dame cornerback KeiVarae Russell hauled in for an interception.

The Irish capitalized on the turnover in their subsequent offensive possession. After moving the ball to USC’s 35-yard line with 10 seconds remaining, quarterback Everett Golson scrambled for eight seconds before rifling a pass that fell incomplete. Unluckily for USC, time had yet to expire in the half, giving the Irish the chance to eke a 52-yard field goal over the uprights’ crossbar, which staked them to a 16-10 lead at halftime.

The second half also began inauspiciously as Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Te’o snared his seventh interception of the season on Wittek’s first pass and continued to deteriorate as USC’s offense failed to find the end zone despite numerous red zone opportunities.

“Notre Dame showed me that they have phenomenal senior leadership,” Kiffin said. “You can see those guys understand the game, very physical, very old school; they’re not very exotic, but they don’t screw up.”

Following the Irish’s fourth field goal, USC countered with a 13-play, 80-yard drive in which it appeared the Trojans scored a touchdown on a four-yard completion to Lee. Before the play, however, Kiffin called a timeout, thus negating the score. After an unsuccessful third-down attempt, USC had to settle for a 21-yard field goal.

Further fueling the frustration, USC was set up at Notre Dame’s one-yard line with four minutes remaining in the game, seeking to score a touchdown to draw the score to 22-20. After two unsuccessful quarterback sneaks and a stuffed, negative run play for senior tailback Curtis McNeal, Kiffin called for a play-action roll-out pass to redshirt freshman fullback Soma Vainuku. Vainuku bobbled the pass, as the ball squirted between his legs and hit the ground, effectively sealing the defeat.

“In the second half I thought we didn’t move the ball very well, especially in the third quarter on offense, but you gotta make the plays in those situations,” Kiffin said. “They’re the No. 1 goal line defense in the country two years in a row for a reason.”

USC must now regroup for its bowl game after losing both of its rivalry games this season and dropping four of five contests.

“I’d say we’re all disappointed,” Wittek said. “No one imagined losing five games with the talent that we have. Things didn’t exactly turn out how we wanted them to, but I couldn’t express any more pride in my team, being able to go to battle with them was definitely special.”

I imagine, in a way, this is how we’ll come to view the Matt Barkley era.

Unless the right-handed senior signal caller makes some sort of dramatic return for a December bowl game, we’ve watched him take his last snap under center in cardinal and gold. USC coach Lane Kiffin announced Sunday night that Barkley would miss the Trojans’ regular season finale against top-ranked, undefeated Notre Dame at the Coliseum because of an AC sprain suffered in last Saturday’s matchup at UCLA.

Let’s be honest, this might very well be it.

It’s odd, but for Barkley, who has started more games at quarterback than any player in school history, his career at USC feels like it’s still missing something.

That’ll forever remain the great irony of Matt Barkley. He’s thrown more completions, more yards and more touchdowns than any other USC or Pac-12 passer. But we’ll always be scrambling to provide meaning to his chapter in history.

No, 2012 — and his four-year career for that matter — didn’t unfold like we all thought it would. The portrait of Matt Barkley was to be without a blemish.

He was, as Kiffin put it last December, the “Perfect Trojan, Matty Trojan.” He was the blue-eyed, blonde-haired quarterback from Orange County who would rescue USC from its darkest hour — NCAA sanctions in June of 2010.

That was the narrative. That was what was expected, a feel-good story too good for even a Hollywood script. The Trojans’ 2012 season would be like some cinematic masterpiece with Barkley leading the program toward the top of the college football universe.

We’ve been expecting as much since he set foot on campus in January 2009 and was tapped as the starter seven months later. Noted then-coach Pete Carroll at the time: “He’s ready to be the guy for us.”

At 18, he was ready. Except — no matter how many touchdown passes he’s thrown since his first game against San Jose State on Sept. 5, 2009 — we’re still searching to uncover the context of his career.

It’s easier for others.

For Matt Leinart, it was consecutive national championships and a 34-game winning streak. For Carson Palmer, it was a Heisman Trophy and a berth in the Orange Bowl, underpinning a return to national prominence. For others such as Rodney Peete or Mark Sanchez, it was trips to the Rose Bowl, the “Granddaddy of Them All.”

But for Barkley, what does his career represent, exactly? He threw touchdown upon touchdown, but in what defining moment?

It’s of course difficult to fault him for the circumstances, but the circumstances are still there. For two of his four seasons, USC was prohibited from participating in the postseason.

Despite a 10-win season in 2011, there was no Pac-12 championship game or Rose Bowl berth. There were 12 regular season games and that was that.

We’ll always ask, “what if?” What if the conditions had been different? What if Carroll stayed? What if the NCAA penalties never arrived? What if the team survived road showdowns versus Stanford, Arizona and UCLA earlier this fall?

Much like the circumstances, his accomplishments are followed by a “but.” He threw for more than 100 touchdown passes over his career, but 23 came in games against Colorado and Syracuse. He orchestrated road wins over top-10 teams Ohio State and Oregon, but the former was followed by four losses during the season and the latter came in a year when USC wasn’t bowl eligible. Barkley and the Trojans began this season as the Associated Press’ preseason No. 1 team, but they’ve already stumbled four times.

In spite of the numbers, we’ve never quantified USC quarterbacks solely by statistics and by their records. No matter how many passes Heisman winners Leinart or Palmer launched, we remember certain moments: a pass on fourth-and-nine in the waning seconds of a win at Notre Dame, a smattering of Iowa in the Orange Bowl in January.

Barkley’s resume lacks that singularly defining play or game. It lacks that kick.

Maybe we’ll remember his unwavering commitment instead. It’s often been said Barkley said yes to USC three times: once in high school by signing a letter of intent, once in the wake of sanctions by declining to transfer and once in 2011 by opting to stay for his senior season, leaving NFL millions behind.

Maybe it’s the way he represented the university, organizing missionary trips to Africa and to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Maybe it’s the fact he helped keep USC above water when the program could’ve easily drowned.

Maybe it is the numbers, a sign he made the most of his play on the field during trying times.

“I played up and down,” Barkley said outside the visiting locker room following Saturday’s 38-28 loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl. “I thought I fought as hard as I could’ve fought. I went down fighting.”

Though business will remain unfinished for Barkley, maybe his lasting legacy is that: he fought. He fought and fought tirelessly for four years. He fought when it could have been expedient not to. And that shouldn’t be undervalued.

But in five years or a decade from now, will we remember any of that?

Big Ten.

So what’s the first word that comes to your mind?

Maybe it’s one of the sports like football and basketball that the conference is renowned for. Then again, maybe it’s one of the schools that make up its DNA, like perennial powerhouses Michigan and Ohio State. Or perhaps it’s even one of the great players that the league has produced over the years, like Heisman winners Desmond Howard, Eddie George and Ron Dayne to name just a few.

But who in their right mind would say Maryland or Rutgers?

It reminds me of my childhood learning programs like Sesame Street, where they played the game “one of these things is not like the other.”

This Big Ten’s conference expansion was sudden, but not unexpected. But it still seems baffling — until placed under closer examination — why the conference chose these two schools to incorporate into its ranks, and why these schools decided to bolt to greener pastures.

Geographically, Rutgers and Maryland couldn’t lay farther apart from the latest add-on to the conference, Nebraska. In fact, the distance between the campuses of Maryland and Nebraska is more than 1,200 miles. So, with the extension comes the destruction of the classic pre-held notion that the Big Ten is a Midwest-only collection of collegiate athletic programs.

That being said, Pennsylvania does border the states whose campuses the Big Ten’s newest members reside in, helping to expand the eastern flank of the conference’s reach.

The positive of this expansion lays in the fact that the move extends the reach of the conference across the nation not only in recruiting but also in terms of exposure.

For recruiting, the Big Ten will be able to open up — well, more than before — the East Coast and compete with other conferences for the region’s best players. Now athletes in the respective states of New Jersey and Maryland will get a chance to see the Big Ten first hand, not only in terms of the athletic contests themselves, but also in terms of regional penetration by the Big Ten Network, a key player in the allure of the conference to its two newest members.

Something that offers long-term security with the Big Ten is not only its strong record of athletic prowess and the revenue that its large enrollment schools and prestigious programs bring, but also the money that lays in its television market and its deal with the Big Ten Network. Those deals alone bring the conference’s schools several millions of dollars in revenue each year.

If the Big Ten Network can penetrate the basic cable market in its new states and the major metropolitan areas around them — Washington, D.C., New York, etc., it could make an absolute killing. And even if it doesn’t, the network will still make a disgusting amount in subscription fees. Because, keep in mind, the Big Ten has a strong base of alumni that populates the East Coast and there’s plenty of people willing to pay to see the conference’s games.

So money, money, money. Who does it go to? The schools, the conference and the network. Everyone gets a piece of the pie and money makes the world go around, so why not get in while the gettin’s good?

Additionally, the ACC and Big East are renowned as basketball conferences. What brings in more revenue? Well, besides overall numbers, maybe this imagery can explain it. The biggest basketball facility in the NCAA, seating wise, is 33,000 at the Carrier Dome, home of Syracuse, who coincidentally just joined the ACC — along with Pittsburgh — confirming the idea that the conference is a basketball-centered one.

The biggest seating facility for FBS college football? Try Michigan Stadium. The “Big House” holds 109,901 people. Based on ticket sales alone, revenue from football beats the hell out of basketball. Moving to a conference where the schools are bigger and the football is more relevant on a national stage makes too much sense for Maryland and Rutgers.

Also, keep in mind that Maryland was in a hole financially (the school lost $4.5 million last year) and had to cut a few sports programs. Rutgers’ football program is stuck in the rather weak Big East and apparently has some ambitious construction and upgrade plans for its campus and facilities planned. The needed financial boost that the Big Ten brings will only help revenue, boosting the schools to new heights both academically and athletically.

If there was 800 more words to this column I could go into much deeper detail and provide the solid figures and stats that would bore most readers to death and satisfy all the critics to this article, but keep this in mind: In 2008, the Big Ten had seven of its then 11 teams reported in the top 25 for total revenue earned from athletics.

It’s disappointing that rivalries and the geographic location that made the Big Ten special are largely taking the back burner to the reformation and expansion of the conference. But in a sport — and world — where money rules all, it’s a necessary evil in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.

The Terrapins announced they have accepted an invitation to join the leave the ACC and join the Big Ten, which will become a 14-team conference with the addition of Rutgers, which, at press time, is expected to depart from the Big East Tuesday.

Maryland will be required to pay a $50 million buyout to leave the ACC. The exit fee was raised to $50 million after the addition of Notre Dame for all sports except football, and Maryland and Florida State were the only schools to vote against the increase.

“Our best wishes are extended to all of the people associated with the University of Maryland. Since our inception, they have been an outstanding member of our conference, and we are sorry to see them exit,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement released by the conference. Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kevin White, director of athletics, both declined comment via Jon Jackson, associate athletic director for media relations and public affairs.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse are set to join the ACC next year after announcing last year they reached an agreement to leave the Big East.

The Badgers had just been led on Senior Day to a game-tying drive by fifth-year senior quarterback Curt Phillips in the waning minute of regulation, with star tailback and fellow senior Montee Ball just one touchdown away from breaking the NCAA all-time career touchdown record.

But Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall, No. 6 Ohio State (11-0, 7-0 Big Ten) would have none of it, besting Wisconsin (7-4, 4-3) by a score of 21-14 in overtime and securing the Leaders Division title outright.

But the loss did not change the fact Wisconsin will represent the division in the Big Ten Championship game by default as Ohio State serves its one-year bowl ban.

The loss was the first for the Badgers on Senior Day in UW head coach Bret Bielema’s tenure, as the team’s nine senior players were sent out with a loss in their final game at Camp Randall.

“I’m sorry for my seniors,” Bielema said. “Guys did a lot for us in the last four, five years. Not to send them out with a win was difficult to swallow.”

Ball led all rushers with 191 yards on 39 carries and scored his 78th career touchdown in the second quarter, tying former Miami (OH) running back Travis Prentice’s record.

What perhaps made the end result so surprising for Wisconsin was the fact it held Ohio State’s dynamic playmaker at quarterback, Braxton Miller, to just 48 yards on the ground and 97 through the air, well below the Heisman hopeful’s usual output of 291.9 total yards of offense per game.

“He’s pretty amazing when you think of some of the things he can do with his feet,” Wisconsin free safety Dezmen Southward said. “On tape and on paper maybe we’re not a defense that can match up with that but I think that we showed … we can stop anybody.”

The Buckeyes started off the overtime with a decisive 11-yard gain by Carlos Hyde, part of a solid game by the running back that included 87 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries.

Hyde scored the game-deciding touchdown on a two-yard run several plays later, as the Ohio State defense held Phillips and the Wisconsin offense in check to keep its hopes for a perfect season alive.

“We ran a play we hadn’t ran all day with Carlos (Hyde) to the edge,” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said. “Their focus was all over Braxton Miller and rightfully so … I thought Carlos Hyde ran [well], I think we need to give him the ball a little bit more.”

OSU wide receiver Corey Brown returned a Drew Meyer punt 68 yards to make the score 7-0 Buckeyes with 1 minute, 58 seconds left in the first quarter as the Buckeyes’ offense built off that momentum on their next drive. Miller orchestrated an eight play, 69-yard drive capped off by a Hyde touchdown run, making the score 14-0 in favor of the visitor.

But Wisconsin would answer, as Ball’s number was called five times on an eight-play scoring drive in the second quarter and the tailback rushed for 45 yards on the 82-yard scoring drive, including the record-tying 7-yard touchdown that brought the score to 14-7.

Ball had a chance to break the record in the game’s waning minutes, as a controversial spot by the field judge placed a third down run by Ball a yard short of the first down. Down 14-7 late in the fourth, the Badgers went for it on fourth-and-1 just two yards from the goal line. Ball elevated from the ground as Ohio State’s defensive linemen cut at the knees of his offensive line, but was unable to stretch far enough to score. The Buckeyes punched the ball out of Ball’s hands and put an abrupt end to the potential scoring drive.

“I just had this flash in my mind when we were lining up to run that play, ‘don’t jump, don’t jump,’” Bielema said. “Because I knew he was doing anything he could to get in the end zone, I can’t discredit him for the effort.”

It was the lone blemish on an otherwise solid fourth quarter for Ball, as the tailback bulldozed his way to 51 yards on the ground.

But Phillips would not let his team go down without a fight. Getting the ball with 1:33 left in regulation, Buckeyes’ senior defensive end John Simon — who recorded the last of his four sacks on the day — sacked Phillips on the first play of the drive

But the fifth-year senior signal-caller showed grit over the next six plays, completing a crucial fourth-and-3 to wide receiver Jared Abbrederis and finding the receiver again for 11 yards to move the ball to the Ohio State 5-yard line.

Two plays later, Phillips connected on a five-yard strike to tight end Jacob Pedersen for a touchdown and sent Camp Randall into a frenzy.

“There were a couple plays that were just all on him making unbelievable efforts,” Bielema said. “Great throws against a very good football team. What he gave us today was worth its weight in gold.”

The win, coupled with losses by No. 1 Kansas State and No. 2 Oregon, pushed Notre Dame to No. 1 in the BCS standings for the first time in program history.

The Irish dominated all facets of the game from start to finish, maintaining an explosive offensive attack and an unwavering defense for all four quarters, Irish coach Brian Kelly said.

“We have a paradigm for winning,” Kelly said. “It’s something we talk about actually in our locker room. It’s called four quarters of winning.

“I think that came together in this football game more than any game we’ve played this year.”

Saturday’s complete-game victory was particularly special for the Irish seniors as the 38-0 shutout victory over Wake Forest bookends the senior’s home careers that began with a 35-0 shutout win over Nevada in 2009.

“It’s just a relief for us to win in the fashion that we did, you know, just clicking on all cylinders and everybody is playing with a lot of enthusiasm and energy just on all sides of the ball and just getting after it,” senior linebacker Manti Te’o said. “That’s a great way to end my career playing here in Notre Dame.”

Unlike many of their previous home games this season, the Irish controlled the game from the very beginning. After shaking its pre-game jitters, Notre Dame converted a third-and-11 from its own eight-yard line with a 24-yard strike from Irish sophomore quarterback Everett Golson to Irish senior running back Theo Riddick. On the very next play, Golson ran the quarterback option and pitched to senior running back Cierre Wood, who took it all the way to the end zone for a 68-yard score.

Then, just 74 seconds later, a big hit from Irish senior linebacker Carlo Calabrese knocked the ball loose from Deacons junior running back Josh Harris. After the recovery by another Irish senior — safety Zeke Motta — Notre Dame drove to the two-yard line before Irish senior tight end Tyler Eifert took over. While Golson’s first attempt to Eifert was off the mark, Eifert rose above his lone defender on third down to pull down his fourth touchdown of the year and put Notre Dame up 14-0 just six minutes into the game.

“That’s our number one goal before every game and that’s to start fast,” Eifert said. “Coach [Kelly] talks about it and I think that was huge to get points on the board early.”

Notre Dame continued this high-energy play through the entire first quarter. After the Irish defense forced Wake Forest to punt on its next possession, Notre Dame needed just six plays to find the end zone again. On first down from the 50-yard line, Golson rolled out to his right, threw the ball deep down the right sideline and connected with graduate student receiver John Goodman.

For Goodman, the play represented a further step in the young quarterback’s development.

“Everett through it out there and trusted in his receivers and the offensive line gave him good blocking,” Goodman said. “It was just another one of those plays that you just have to go up and get the ball, because that’s what we are taught.”

With another touchdown pass to Irish junior receiver T.J. Jones in the second quarter, Golson had a career game against Wake Forest. Despite being pulled midway through the third quarter, the sophomore signal-caller finished the day with 346 yards passing, three touchdowns and only one interception.

Compared to the start of the season, his performance Saturday reflects the incredible progress Golson has made, Irish senior offensive lineman Zack Martin said.

“Everett has grown as much as anyone on the team,” Martin said. “He came into camp very determined and has grown every game. He’s been dominant player when he’s out there. He can run, he can throw and he’s communicating so he’s doing a great job.”

On the other side of the ball, the Notre Dame defense overwhelmed the Wake Forest offense all game, holding the Deacons to just nine first downs and 209 total yards. Heading into Saturday, the Deacons realized they would face a challenge with the Irish defense, Deacons coach Jim Grobe said.

“We knew coming in we were going to have issues with their defense,” Grobe said. “Everybody has. They might be the best defensive football team in the country.

“This was just a day where Notre Dame was too much for us to handle.”

In the third quarter, Eifert caught a 15-yard pass for an Irish first down. The reception pushed Eifert’s career reception total to 129 and the senior tight end past former Notre Dame tight end Ken MacAfee in the program record books.

“Today we tried to get him the football, and he made incredible plays, as you know, down the field,” Kelly said. “I think he epitomizes in terms of what we look for as a Notre Dame football player.”

Then with 13:27 left in the third quarter, Kelly took a timeout to honor three other players that truly represent Notre Dame football. One by one, Irish senior defensive lineman Kapron Lewis-Moore, Motta and Te’o left the field for the last time and received an emotional ovation from 80,000 strong.

“Just magic,” Te’o said, describing the moment. “Like everything’s come full circle, [I’m] just very grateful.”

While Irish were pleased to finish off their home season undefeated, the entire team recognized the need to focus on the upcoming matchup with USC.

“Going undefeated at home is always a big deal, but we now have to get ready for USC and right now that’s the most important thing,” Lewis-Moore said.

The Irish will travel to Los Angeles to face off against the Trojans in the Coliseum next Saturday at 8 p.m.

For the second time in two years, Alejandro Maldonado’s kick was just a little too far left, and Oregon found itself out of hope, out of chances and out of the running for the national championship.

Behind the best rushing defense in college football, No. 13 Stanford smothered Oregon’s potent offense on its way to a stunning 17-14 overtime win in front of 58,792 dazed Duck fans at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night. The loss knocked Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) off its path toward a BCS title game and gave Stanford (9-2, 7-1) the right to control its destiny through the conference championship game and beyond.

Of course the game wasn’t over after (or decided by) Maldonado’s second missed field goal of the night. Oregon’s defense still had a shot to stop Stanford and force a second overtime — the Ducks were even gifted a fumble by Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan — but Stanford recovered, and kicker Jordan Williamson booted a 37-yard walk-off field goal.

Maldonado’s checkered past, including a missed field goal last year against USC that crippled Oregon’s title hopes, sparked questions after the game about his consistency.

“When I kick, I don’t really think about the distance because I know I have a strong enough leg to get it through,” said the junior from Colton, Calif. “I kicked the ball well in warm-ups and practice. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”

Little went right for the Ducks all game. The highest-scoring team in the nation found its running lanes clogged by the Cardinal’s stout defensive line. After a scoreless first quarter, Hogan led Stanford on a 15-play, 93-yard drive culminating in the freshman plowing into the end zone from one yard out. The strike quieted a crowd used to seeing weekly blowouts and set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Oregon got on the scoreboard nine minutes later courtesy of a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota to wideout Keanon Lowe, and soon took the lead with a six-yard rushing touchdown by sophomore standout De’Anthony Thomas in the third quarter.

But the game quickly turned into a war of attrition, with both sides trading punts and battling for field position.

Keeping Oregon in a tight contest — unfamiliar territory for the Ducks, if one’s being honest — Stanford held the ball for more than 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor gashed Oregon’s injury-depleted middle, racking up 46 of his 156 rushing yards in the last quarter alone.

The dagger came with 1:35 left on the clock. Hogan hit tight end Zach Ertz for a 10-yard touchdown that initially was ruled incomplete. Video evidence overturned the call, however, and sent both teams into overtime.

Each team had just one possession, and Maldonado missed his kick. Williamson didn’t.

What it means. Mariota and Kelly both acknowledged the loss hurt but emphasized the need to focus on what’s ahead of them: Civil War against Oregon State. The Beavers dismantled Cal on Saturday night, and a win over the Ducks next Saturday would freeze Oregon out of the Pac-12 Championship game. The best-case scenario would potentially be an at-large BCS bid to a second-tier bowl — the Orange Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl, for instance.

No natty. No Rose Bowls. No Pac-12 titles.

Additionally, if Stanford beats UCLA next weekend, Oregon’s performance against Oregon State will matter little. The only way Oregon can play, and host, a second-consecutive Pac-12 Championship Game is if Stanford loses to the Bruins, and Oregon beats Oregon State.

And that’s just within the Pac-12.

With No. 1 Kansas State losing to unranked Baylor, the BCS picture is even more clouded. For all intents and purposes, Oregon’s chance at a BCS National Championship is shot. Undefeated Notre Dame will ascend to the top spot after Saturday’s win over Wake Forest, and a slew of SEC teams — Alabama, Georgia and Florida — will jostle with the Ducks and the Wildcats behind them. What happens now is anyone’s guess.

Turning point. Despite the seesaw battle, Oregon held a legitimate shot to win right up until Maldonado’s kick hit the left upright. Autzen, loud as ever, fell silent, and students and fans refused to leave their seats for long after Stanford took its celebration into the visitor’s locker room.

“I was thinking about [transferring after freshman year],” Wood said. “I didn’t like the position I was in and stuff like that. But [running backs] coach [Tony] Alford kept me grinding the whole time I’ve been here along with a couple of my teammates. And we decided we were going to make it work and found a way to make it happen.”

Recruited by former Irish coach Charlie Weis, Wood was a highly regarded four-star recruit, also receiving offers from Auburn, Florida and USC. Coming from all the attention to none at all was a definite challenge, combined with the adjustment to the frigid weather.

“In the beginning it was terrible, because of the fact that it was so cold,” he said. “But once you’ve been out here for a long time, you begin to adapt. And once I got that, it felt easier at that point.”

Wood has his sights set on something beyond his collegiate career, 2,275 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns and three seasons later.

“I can’t really say it, but it has to do with the [NFL],” Wood said. “If they give me good news, I might skedaddle. It all depends, but that is what it will come down to. But I’m not really worried about that.”

West Coast bias

When it comes down to home, the Oxnard, Calif., native had only one thing to say.

“West Coast, best coast, West Coast is the best coast,” Wood said.

Wood started his spectacular high school career in Long Beach, Calif., at Long Beach Poly, the same school that produced NFL talents DeSean Jackson, Marcedes Lewis and Willie McGinest. But Wood transferred before his sophomore year to Santa Clara High School, where he rushed for 2,612 yards and 34 touchdowns in his junior year alone.

And even though he is in his fourth year away from home, Wood said he still misses the luxuries of home.

“I miss everything. In-N-Out [Burger]. Going to the beach, all the clubs in Hollywood. Going shopping,” Wood said. “Everything in California is just better than any other place in the world. There is something to do at all times. You’ll never be bored. You can go outside, literally walk outside your door, and something is bound to happen. I don’t think it’s the same with the Midwest or the East.”

Although some things could not come to South Bend with him, Wood said he brought the mentality of his state with him, and it has translated in between the tackles as well.

“Just the fact that in California, people don’t really trip out about a lot of stuff,” Wood said. “Everybody’s calm, everybody’s collected. My demeanor is just real cool. When things go down, a lot of people always ask me why I am so nonchalant about stuff. But I just can’t help it. Even when I’m mad, I don’t really trip out about it. That’s just how I roll.”

No matter wherever his life takes him, Wood said one thing will remain constant.

“[I’m a California boy] through and through. It doesn’t matter where [I live].”

All-around effort

Coming from high school to college, Wood worked on refining his raw athleticism and speed into a lethal combination of agility and power.

“At the beginning it was all finesse, but I had to learn how to become a complete back,” Wood said. “If I had to go in between the tackles, I would be able to do it. Or I could be the speedy guy on the outside. Once I got here I learned how to do it.

“That’s how it is in the [NFL]. That’s part of why we are here. We are not doing this for nothing. The backs in the league now are all well-rounded. There are some that are finesse and make it work. But at some point you have to have the physicality to run up the middle. I figured I should get a start on that early rather than later.”

The senior gained 23 pounds between the summer of his freshman year and his senior year, putting in the work during and after practice. He even went as far as to ask senior linebacker Manti Te’o to hit and tackle him repeatedly so the 6-foot, 215-pound back could improve his toughness and pass blocking.

“I really wasn’t good at pass blocking at the beginning, so [Te’o] is a good pass rusher,” he said. “When I got here, we had a bunch of big dudes like [linebackers] Kerry Neal and Brian Smith. So what I would do is have them line up coming off the edge and do their best move, whether it be a bull rush or whatever. That’s what made me get better.”

Last season, Wood’s hard work paid off, becoming just the 11th player in Notre Dame history to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark, highlighted by a career high 191 yards on 20 carries against Purdue on Oct. 1, 2011. Despite missing the first two games of the 2012 season for violating team rules, Wood has rushed for 570 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

But one play this season still has the running back fuming: a goal-line fumble in the second overtime against Pittsburgh on Nov. 3.

“I don’t care what anyone says, I know I [scored],” Wood said. “The ball crossed the plane, but it is what it is. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. I am just happy we won the game. My teammates kept me up. And we are still undefeated. I don’t care what people say about the game, we still won and that still counts.

“I was kind of upset about it, but you have to snap out of it and step right back.”

In his Notre Dame career, Wood has recorded four two-touchdown performances, with the latest coming in a 41-3 win over Miami on Oct. 6. But he has yet to score three touchdowns in a single game.

“I can do it,” he said. ”If they need me to, I could get five. I know I can get multiple. If I get the ball out there, I know it can happen.”

Lasting bonds

In his four years at Notre Dame, Wood has had plenty of time to develop a reputation as a lovable jokester within the Irish locker room, where no one is safe from a verbal onslaught.

“They all have nicknames. Chocolate drop [Louis Nix]. [Robby Toma] is Tommy from ‘The Rugrats.’ We all have nicknames,” Wood said. “[Being a jokester] is just how I am. Being from California, everyone just makes fun of each other. I was born and raised like that, so I might as well bring it here.”

But Wood said he has developed a special bond and target for his barbs in his roommates and fellow four-star recruits from the class of 2009: defensive tackle Tyler Stockton and running back Theo Riddick.

“We are around each other as often as possible,” he said. “I live with Theo, so I see him every day. So being around him everyday, we can pick up on each other’s tendencies and learn a lot more from each other.”

Always trying to one-up the same back he shares carries and a house with, Riddick interrupted Wood and jokingly gave his take on his fellow senior.

“If you ask him if he can paint, he will say he’s the best painter. If you ask him ‘Can you play tennis?’ He will say he is the next Serena [Williams],” Riddick said. “He thinks he is the best at everything. Let me correct that: I’m the best. Don’t let anybody else tell you different.”

For Wood, going to school more than 2,000 miles away from home has been a journey mixed with hardships, roadblocks and change. But it has also been one mixed with diligence, resolve and camaraderie — something Wood said he will never forget.

“There are a lot of experiences basically,” he said. “From coming out of the tunnel to going to class or playing on the field, I’ll take in everything I’ve been through since I’ve been here.”

The prospect of an Alabama-Oregon BCS title game had all the makings of a fight to end all fights.

This year, with Oregon’s offense in a higher gear than any other program in memory, the collision course for deciding which style of play (new-fangled lightning or old-school thunder) will lead the pack in years to come was set. It was almost a foregone conclusion an SEC team would await the Ducks if they could make it to the No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in Miami.

But somebody else beat the Ducks to the punch. Alabama head coach Nick Saban, recently critical of Oregon’s up-tempo scheme, saw his Alabama unit fall to a Texas A&M which plays in the same vein as the Ducks. The Aggies upset victory over the Crimson Tide this week slammed the brakes on the Tide’s ride to another championship appearance.

The showdown between dash-and-deception and pound-and-ground was nixed by an earlier, and what most saw as a lesser, challenger. The defending champs had their big date canceled by the lite-version of Oregon.

With just a few weeks remaining in the season, and for the first time in what seems like forever, the SEC is missing from the top three spots in the BCS standings. All signs point to now-No. 1 Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame finishing out the year undefeated, with the Wildcats and Ducks projected to travel to South Florida in pursuit of the crystal football.

What does this mean? Well for those of you who know a bit about boxing, we have a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao situation.

Everybody wanted to see the fight between the flamboyant Mayweather (Oregon) and the steady Pacquiao (Alabama), but instead all we get is Mayweather taking on Shane Mosley, in which, draw your own conclusion, Mayweather wrecked Mosley.

So while the stage is now set for a different BCS National Championship, let’s reflect on the fight we wanted to see.

‘Bama represents the southern institution of building a different breed of athlete — big boys who from the cradle are molded to play offensive line in Tuscaloosa, mentored to crash through linebackers in Gainesville and taught to clobber tailbacks in Baton Rouge.

The Southeastern Conference is a football league that has produced the last six national champions and eight total since the adoption of naming a BCS national champion in 1998.

Since the beginning of the “poll era” in college football in 1936, no team has been declared national champion more than the Crimson Tide, which has nine championships.

Coach Saban is the epitome of SEC football. Born below the Mason-Dixon Line, Saban has coached at two of the conferences perennial powerhouses, LSU and Alabama. At LSU he won the SEC Championship twice and the BCS National Championship once. At Alabama, he has won one SEC Championship and two national titles.

His success has come on the shoulders of the phenomenal defenses he has built, coupled with bruising running games that will batter defenses until they crumble, while donning a simplistic crimson uniform that has changed about as much as ‘Bama’s style over the years — that is to say, not at all.

Oregon, couldn’t be more of a polar opposite — from the Pac-12, where offenses rule and defense comes second.

Oregon pulls from a recruiting pool that harbors speed and agility in the talent-rich hotbeds of California and Texas. They take in players who, for the most part, focus on running around you, not through you.

In the past three years, no team has appeared in a BCS bowl game more often than the Ducks, led by offensive guru Chip Kelly. Under Kelly, the Ducks have risen to a level of preeminent stature in the college football ranks and came within three points of a national championship victory in 2011.

The Ducks, who have seemingly worn a different uniform every time they have played, employ the nation’s top offense that moves at an incomparable pace. Kelly’s version of the spread-option offense has revolutionized the way football is played.

For all the success Oregon has experienced lately, the biggest obstacle the Ducks have faced is SEC defense. The Auburn team that Oregon lost to in the 2011 title game stomped out Oregon’s offensive fire, allowing the Ducks just 19 points. Oregon also drowned against LSU’s vaunted defense in the 2011-2012 season opener.

2012 was supposed to be the year in which Oregon put together an offense worthy of talk that it could hold its own against the defense of an SEC squad. This was supposed to be the year where the up-and-comers make a real run at unseating the reigning power and changing the landscape for the future. Now, whether or not Oregon becomes a national champion, the epic conclusion to the saga of two different ships passing each other in the night will have to wait at least one more year to see daylight.

Last season, the Irish (10-0) pulled out a 24-17 win over the Deacons (5-5, 3-5 ACC) in the first-ever meeting between the schools. Notre Dame had to overcome a 17-10 halftime deficit to beat Wake Forest.

Deacons redshirt junior receiver Michael Campanaro led Wake Forest with six receptions for 74 yards in last year’s matchup and has 65 catches and 618 yards in 2012. Junior quarterback Tanner Price has 1,965 yards through the air and 12 touchdowns while redshirt junior running back Josh Harris leads Wake Forest with 607 rushing yards.

Irish coach Brian Kelly said Notre Dame is aware of Wake Forest’s key players on offense.

“Campanaro on offense gave us fits last year,” Kelly said. “Tanner Price is very elusive in the pocket, can make plays, extend plays. Harris is the veteran running back.”

The secondary is the strength of the Deacons’ defense, starring redshirt senior Chibuikem Okoro and redshirt sophomore Kevin Johnson. The pair has combined for four interceptions and 16 pass breakups.

Kelly said the Irish may shade away from Okoro, who has 29 career pass breakups, in the passing game.

“It’ll be part of our game plan to attack a particular side,” Kelly said. “But there is going to be opportunities where you’re going to have to throw the ball against those guys and going to have to make plays.”

Kelly also said the Irish will need to be prepared for a variety of pressures from Wake Forest. The Deacons have 68 tackles for loss this season, including 8.5 by redshirt junior Justin Jackson, who has four sacks.

“You’re going to get blitzed from every formation,” Kelly said. “We have to do a great job of making sure that we protect our quarterback, find ways to get after them on the offensive line and running the football.”
Perfect at home

With a win, the Irish can finish undefeated at home for the first time in 14 years.

“Well, one of our goals, a tangible goal for us, was to protect our home field,” Kelly said. “We felt, I felt, I think everybody in the program felt that if you want to take that next step in terms of success, you got to win at home.”

Before Notre Dame topped Oklahoma on Oct. 27, the Sooners had lost just four home games since 1999. Kelly said the Irish aspire to attain that reputation.

“We want to have that kind of legacy,” he said. “We want to build that kind of dominance at home. The first step is winning all your games at home, which hasn’t happened in a long time.

“If you can stay in one place long enough you’ve got to a chance to do that. I think we’ve won 18 out of our last 20 regular season games. We’re toward that direction. Now just need to keep doing that.”
Russell and Nix to play

Freshman cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who missed the end of the Boston College game, has been cleared to practice after suffering a head injury.

“He passed a number of his tests, his ACSM test, which is the software test for the last hurdle for any concussions,” Kelly said.

Junior nose guard Louis Nix will not miss any time following his ejection late in the fourth quarter last Saturday.

And she was, leading her No. 1 Lady Bear team to an 85-51 win over No. 6 Kentucky in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic.

With 27 points, five blocks, three steals and eight boards, three of which on the offensive end, Kentucky didn’t have an answer for her, even though it took her a little over six-and-a-half minutes to score.

The Wildcats tried to double off of senior forward Destiny Williams, but she ended up with a double-double, 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“The season is here,” Williams said. “I have to play every game like its my last and try to play with lots of energy.”

Junior point guard Odyssey Sims finished the evening with 18 points, six assists and four steals.

“I thought she just competed so hard,” Kentucky head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “She did not let us make the play. High-level player, fantastic guard. We have a lot of respect for her.”

Baylor ended up playing everyone on the roster, with only three players held scoreless.

“When you play you’re entire team against the No. 6 team in the nation, you’re doing something right,” Mulkey said.

No. 6 Kentucky’s motto, “40 minutes of dread,” represents the defensive pressure the Wildcats will bring with their full-court press.

It turned out to be 40 minutes of Baylor proving its No. 1 ranking.

“There’s a reason they didn’t press a ton,” Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey said. “That press is only good if you’re turning the ball over. I thought for the second game of the year to do what we did and do it comfortably, maybe I just need to sit down and not get so stressed out, huh?”

Pregame conversations around the country consisted of the intense Kentucky defense, but Baylor and its 6-foot-8-inch preseason Big 12 Player of the Year couldn’t be contained, shooting 51 percent from the floor.

The Wildcats, however, shot 27 percent.

“Griner is such an opposing figure around the basket,” Mitchell said. “Their defense is designed to force you into jump shots.”

Last season’s SEC Player of the Year, senior point guard A’Dia Mathies, was held to three-of-18 from the floor and five more points from the charity stripe.

“Jordan Madden guarded the SEC Player of the Year,” Mulkey said. “She was three-for-18. So lets don’t forget those kids. They don’t worry about their stats. They contribute, and we can’t win without them.”

One statistic that aided the Lady Bears was their force on the boards.

Baylor pulled down 53 boards while Kentucky had only 35.

The Lady Bears were cold from downtown but outscored the Wildcats in the paint 60-16.

“I thought there were three keys to the game,” Mulkey said. “The players listened and did it pretty well. We wanted to eliminate transition baskets, make sure we didn’t turn ball over and keep their perimeter players off the offensive boards.”

Before the game began, three banners were revealed for the Lady Bears: Big 12 season championship, Big 12 tournament championship and the national championship.

“Proud for all the players,” Mulkey said. “Proud that we can represent Baylor on a national scale. Very few coaches and players ever get to do that. It was just a proud moment.”

For Griner, it was a symbol of how to finish her time at Baylor University.

For Williams, it was a foreshadowing of what is yet to come.

“We can only get better from here on out,” Williams said. “Regardless of last year.”

However, Snyder ended up answering more questions about jinxes, the past and individual awards than about the Bears’ potent offense.

This year’s Snyder-led team is his second team to reach a 10-0 record; K-State’s 1998 team famously lost its national title hopes to Texas A&M; in the Big 12 Championship game.

Michael Bishop played quarterback during that 1998 run and finished runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting to Texas running back Ricky Williams. Snyder said that while Bishop and Collin Klein both had tremendous leadership abilities, Klein’s leadership is a more complete package.

“People responded to him because he made plays and because he was extremely athletic,” Snyder said of Bishop’s leadership. “There’s that same feeling about Collin, I think, but Collin’s leadership goes beyond that.”

Snyder further differentiated Klein’s leadership as occurring both on and off the field.

“He just has more — I don’t even have the right words for it, I guess, but they respond to him not only by what he does but what he addresses them about and in areas other than just football,” Snyder said. “And Michael’s thing was just kind of on the football field.”

Klein, who was recently listed as one of 15 “Players to Watch” for the 2012 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, also earned the honor of being featured on the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated — an honor that comes attached with the superstitious baggage of a jinx.

Snyder said he had not heard Klein was on the cover of SI and that he doesn’t know if his team is superstitious.

“Collectively? Probably not,” Snyder said. “Individually? Perhaps so. I don’t know.”

Joining the long list of Wildcats with awards, senior defensive end Meshak Williams extended the team’s now four-week streak of earning Big 12 Player of the Week.

Williams earned the defensive honor after recording two sacks in last Saturday’s game against TCU while racking up career highs in tackles and tackles-for-loss with seven and three, respectively.

Snyder said he especially appreciates when positions that commonly go unnoticed, like the defensive or offensive line, receive accolades.

“I appreciate it when some of the unsung youngsters get recognized, and again, it’s all about how you respond to it,” Snyder said. “I like to think that Meshak, like the other youngsters that we have in our program who have won some type of recognition, will handle it well.”

The buzz created by the Wildcats’ current season has undoubtedly increased their fan base’s appreciation, something that Snyder said he stresses to his players.

“I want our players to understand that they do have the capacity to have a positive impact on the lives of others, just like the veterans that they didn’t know anything about,” Snyder said, referring to the message he addressed to his team on Veterans Day. “I’m not trying to equate the sacrifices of someone that lays their life down for their nation to someone playing a silly game, but by the same token, I want them to understand it’s important for them to be appreciative of the people that generally care about what they do.”

Facing a Kentucky squad led by a quartet of freshmen, Duke’s seniors combined for 51 points—and the team’s first 28 points of the game—as the No. 9 Blue Devils beat the No. 3 Wildcats 75-68 in the Champions Classic at the Georgia Dome.

Curry finished with a game-high 23 points, 14 of which came in the second half, after Plumlee scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.

“I think it was good, especially in the end-of game situation, having guys like myself, Ryan and Seth who have been in those,” Plumlee said. “Each possession becomes that much more important, so I think we had guys on the floor that understood the importance of a possession.”

Kentucky (1-1) did not hold a lead during the entire second half, with Duke (2-0) holding a 12-point lead with 6:30 to play after a Curry jump shot. Wildcat freshman Alex Poythress, however, threw down a put-back slam to reduce the margin to 10.

That sparked a run with Kentucky rallying to make the score 64-61 with less than four minutes to play. But Curry made two free throws to extend the lead to five. The Blue Devils did not score in the 4:26 between Curry’s points.

“We just said, it’s a three-minute ballgame. Let’s win a three-minute ballgame, and we did,” Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Seth was terrific. I think he was the difference maker in the game…. I think he took control of the game. We wanted the ball in his hands, and he made veteran, tough plays down the stretch.”

Poythress responded with a jumper on the next sequence, but another Curry bucket ensured that the Wildcats never came within a possession of tying the game for the rest of the way.

In the final 2:04, the Blue Devils made 7-of-8 free throws. Curry went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and Plumlee—who typically struggles from the charity stripe—nailed all four of his attempts.

“I personally want to have the ball in my hands as much as possible to go up there and knock them down,” Curry said.

Rasheed Sulaimon gave the three seniors a boost in the final 20 minutes, after the freshman shot 0-for-7 in the first half. Sulaimon hit three 3-pointers in the second half—two of them coming in a critical stretch with Plumlee on the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 16:04 to go. Sulaimon led Duke with six rebounds and five assists.

When Plumlee went to the bench after the foul call, the Blue Devils extended their lead to double digits for the first time.

Throughout the game, Plumlee fought a physical battle in the paint with Wildcat Nerlens Noel, who is regarded as the top freshman in the nation. Despite Plumlee picking up two early fouls that clearly frustrated him, he shot 5-of-6 from the field in the first half, guiding Duke to a 33-31 lead at the break.

“Especially when you’re playing a team as talented as Kentucky at every position, you have to get things from tons of areas and different players,” Kelly said. “As seniors we need to be there to lead our team through anything. That’s what got us through a game there like that when you had people in foul trouble and had to play with that.”

Kelly, who finished with 10 points, was most impactful on the defensive end guarding Kentucky sophomore forward Kyle Wiltjer. With Plumlee on the bench at times, Kelly’s defense in the post was thrust into the spotlight, and he responded with three blocked shots, all of which came in the first half.

After recording a team-high 19 points in the team’s season-opening victory against Maryland, Wiltjer scored just five points Tuesday night.

“They took him away. They did a great job of saying, ‘He’s not getting a shot off,’” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “He played well against Maryland, shot the ball. Well this team said, ‘He’s not shooting it.’”

Quinn Cook, who did not start for the second consecutive game, also gave the team an early spark, playing 15 of the first 20 minutes while starting point guard Tyler Thornton played just seven. Cook subsequently started the second half in Thornton’s place.

Entering the game with Duke down by four, Cook took advantage of a Kentucky backcourt that was without starting point guard Ryan Harrow, who did not travel to Atlanta due to illness.

Cook orchestrated an offense that combined to turn over the ball just eight times, while recording 16 assists. The Wildcats recorded 13 turnovers and 13 assists.

“I thought he played with assertiveness. He pushed it. He played really good defensively,” Krzyzewski said. “Quinn Cook really gave us a lift. He scored in transition—it was kind of difficult for us to score in the halfcourt in the first half.”

Redshirt freshman Alex Murphy, who did not play in the team’s opener against Georgia State, played two minutes in the first half but did not see the floor for the rest of the game. Junior Josh Hairston played a critical 14 minutes, however, converting two offensive rebounds into baskets in the second half.

This was the first time the Blue Devils defeated a top-three opponent since a Feb. 2008 victory against then-No. 3 North Carolina, while Krzyzewski moved to 5-1 in his career against Kentucky and 2-0 against Calipari-led teams.

And Krzyzewski was able to count on Curry, who turned in a big-game performance reminiscent of his 22-point performance in Feb. 2011 in a Duke win against North Carolina.

“I’m proud of you,” Krzyzewski said, patting Curry on the back. “I’m glad you came to Duke.”

However, Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M; Aggies significantly helped the Wildcats by knocking out the Crimson Tide 29-24 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday night.

With the Alabama loss the Crimson Tide dropped from the No. 1 ranking, allowing K-State to ascend to the top spot in the BCS rankings for the first time in school history.

Moving to No. 1 makes things very simple for the Wildcats. Win the final two games against Baylor and Texas, and K-State will be playing on Jan. 7 in Miami in the National Championship.

Trailing the Wildcats are undefeated Oregon and Notre Dame. The Ducks lead the Fighting Irish by .01, and should be able to hold off Notre Dame if they win out. According to Jerry Palm of CBS sports in an interview with ESPN, “These teams are in their order and the only way that order changes is if somebody gets beat.”

If the Wildcats and Ducks win out it sets up a potential showdown between the two teams, something that was supposed to happen the past two seasons.

The Wildcats and Ducks were supposed to play a home-and-home series last year and this season, but those plans changed when Oregon agreed to play LSU and asked K-State to move it to the future. However, with the Big 12 Conference going to a nine-game schedule, the two schools agreed just to cancel the series.

All three teams have tough games to close out the season. K-State will most likely host a top-15 team in Texas, Oregon still has three games against top 25 teams and the Fighting Irish have to travel to Los Angels to host USC.

While nothing is guaranteed in college football, as there seems to be upsets nearly every weekend, K-State is in the best possible situation. With the BCS system in play there are usually many different circumstances that have to happen for your team to go to the championship. That is not the case for the Wildcats; all they need to do is win. They control their own destiny and as senior quarterback Collin Klein always says, “it is just another step.”

Two more wins, and the K-State fans will be looking forward to a nice little winter vacation in Miami.

Irish sophomore quarterback Everett Golson engineered the 13-play, 95-yard march on Notre Dame’s first possession of the game, going 3-for-5 and scoring on a 2-yard touchdown plunge on third-and-goal.

The Irish (10-0) were 3-for-3 on third downs on the opening drive and converted their first 10 attempts on third down for the game. Golson picked up six first downs on the ground.

“We did a nice job on third down,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said. “Our quarterback play was really good, picked up one of the best plays I think he had when he ran it on third down, put his foot in the ground and ran north and south and showed some real toughness. We were effective because our quarterback was effective tonight.”

Golson finished the game 39 rushing yards on 11 carries.

“We got a great push up front and I was able to run for the first downs,” Golson said. “I like to think that’s what makes me, me. … It also takes the other guys around you to complement you and can finish the play off.”

Dating back to the Pittsburgh game, Notre Dame converted on 12 consecutive third downs before an incompletion in the third quarter.

“It’s something we harped on, a lot of repetition,” senior running back Theo Riddick said. “Everyone was very detail-oriented in what they were doing. Everyone was on the same page and it worked out tonight.”

Notre Dame entered the game scoring touchdowns on less than half of its red zone chances but converted all three red zone trips into touchdowns Saturday, including scoring passes to sophomore tight end Troy Niklas and graduate student receiver John Goodman.

“Everett Golson played the way he needs to play, especially in the red zone,” Kelly said. “Once he starts playing at the level we need him in the red zone, we’ll start scoring touchdowns and not just field goals.”

Two series after Boston College (2-8) cut the Notre Dame lead to 7-3 with junior kicker Nate Freese’s 36-yard field goal, Notre Dame scored again on a long drive.

This time, the Irish went 87 yards in 16 plays, taking up 8:30 of the second quarter. Notre Dame went 4-for-4 on third down on a drive capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Niklas. The grab was Niklas’ first touchdown of his career.

Riddick, who ran for 104 yards on 18 attempts, said Golson was the key to the long drives.

“Long drives are going to tire out the defense and [Golson] made perfect checks and he knew what he was doing and it was a result of his play,” Riddick said.

Senior tight end Tyler Eifert continued to develop a rapport with Golson, grabbing six catches for 67 yards.

“I think they’re feeling more comfortable with each other,” Kelly said. “Getting the ball to Eifert is very important and putting the ball in a good position where he can go up and use his size. That’s what I liked tonight. The little nuances of [Golson’s] game tonight is he put the ball in areas where Tyler can play [6-foot-5] because if he can play at that size, he’s hard to defend.”

Notre Dame turned the ball over twice on fumbles by Riddick and sophomore running back George Atkinson. The Irish now have five turnovers in the past two games.

“The only thing I’m not happy with is the turnovers, we’ve got to take better care of the football. They played hard and they played physical for four quarters,” Kelly said. “These are guys that have carried the ball a lot, they’ve got to do a better job.”

The Irish defense allowed just 300 total yards of offense, including only 53 rushing yards. The Eagles were creative on offense, calling screens and reverses to try and catch Notre Dame off guard.

“There were some plays where you thought you were at Disney World, there was Mickey Mouse plays everywhere,” senior linebacker Manti Te’o said. “There were reverses, screens, that was the most screens I’ve ever defended in one game. Our guys came out and everyone flew to the ball. When something happened, was somebody there.”

Eagles junior quarterback Chase Rettig was 27-for-43 for 247 yards and an interception. He was also sacked five times.

Boston College became the fifth team to not score a touchdown against Notre Dame.

“I think they ran every play imaginable,” Kelly said. “Our guys defensively saw so many different plays tonight but they kept fighting and kept them out of the end zone.”

Junior linebacker Prince Shembo said the Irish were prepared for the various plays.

“We knew this was like their Super Bowl so we knew there was going to be a lot of trick plays and stuff like that. Everyone was ready and prepared,” Shembo said.

Junior cornerback Bennett Jackson led the Irish defense with a team-high eight tackles, including seven solo stops and one tackle for loss. Shembo recorded three sacks in the win.

“I wasn’t doing anything special, just chasing quarterbacks,” Shembo said. “In the past weeks, I would get to the quarterback and he would throw the ball every time, throw it out of bounds. This guy wanted to hold it so I was like ‘All right, cool, it’s about time.’”

Graduate student defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore and sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt each added sacks of their own.

Te’o bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy with five tackles an interception in the fourth quarter. It was his sixth of the season, the most in a single year by an Irish linebacker. Te’o leads the country in turnovers forced, with two fumble recoveries in addition to his six picks.

“When you need a big play, he’s going to be around the football,” Kelly said.

Te’o said the Irish can still be better.

“We can do better with our effort,” he said. “We can do better executing. We’ll come back on Sunday and Monday and correct the mistakes and get ready for Wake Forest.”

The Irish will welcome the Demon Deacons to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

The replays and slow-motion cameras appear to show that tight end Matt Lehman scored a go-ahead touchdown before his controversial fumble in the Nittany Lions’ 32-23 loss at Nebraska on Saturday.

The refs didn’t see it that way, though. Instead, Lehman’s turnover stood.

Almost instantly, our @psufootblog Twitter account was flooded with angry comments about the call. They included speculation that the officials’ ruling was part of a broader conspiracy against Penn State, a result of the tumult that has shaken Happy Valley in the last year.

Quarterback Matt McGloin didn’t help matters with his post-game comments.

“I know we’re not going to get that call here. We’re not going to get that call ever, actually, against any team,” McGloin said. “It doesn’t matter who the refs are. We’ll never get that call.”

Yikes.

Look, McGloin, his teammates, the coaching staff and the fans all have a beef, especially because it wasn’t just a bad call on the field at game speed. That’d be one thing. The fact that officials could look at the same replays the world did and conclude there was not indisputable video evidence of a score has to be very frustrating.

But to suggest there was funny business afoot takes things off the tracks. Yes, there have been times in the last year that Penn State has been dealt a bad hand in the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case, and it’s felt like it’s the university against the world.

But not everything is part of a conspiracy. I can’t believe I even have to write that.

This bunker mentality that some factions of the fanbase have dug themselves into isn’t healthy for the community, first and foremost. If the program’s supporters continue to let things like this ruin their enjoyment of what was a classic battle on the Plains, it’s going to be a long, painful slog through the NCAA’s sanctions for them.

It also looks really bad from the outside. Every time fans play the “victim” card over trivial things like a bad call on the football field, it cheapens the true suffering of those Sandusky abused.

Of course, few, if any fans, would actually equate these things. They just don’t want to see Penn State get a raw deal. But if the last year has shown us anything, it’s that messages can and will be misconstrued by Penn State’s critics to make it look bad.

Big Ten referees made plenty of ball calls against Penn State before last fall, and they’ll probably continue to moving forward, not because they’re conspiring, but because they’re lousy.

Players and fans will probably feel a lot better if they shake off the paranoia and accept that, rather than chasing screaming bloody murder.

The good: Golson played another strong game at the quarterback position, completing 16-of-24 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns while adding 40 yards and a score on the ground. The young Golson also led the Irish to complete their first 10 third-down conversions, moving the chains on the three touchdown-scoring drives that ultimately won the game.

The bad: No, it wasn’t raining at Alumni Stadium, but the ball was a little slippery for Notre Dame’s running backs. Senior back Theo Riddick and sophomore back George Atkinson both lost fumbles. Riddick and Atkinson have been reliable in protecting the ball all season, but Irish coach Brian Kelly will certainly address these uncharacteristic turnovers in practice this week. Sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels also suffered a shoulder injury that appeared as though it may be serious.

What we learned: The Irish were immune to the big upset — such as the one No. 1 Alabama suffered earlier in the day — by keeping the Eagles out of the end zone and executing on offense. Kelly’s team did not play its best game, or even close to it, but the No. 4 Irish executed when it mattered and never let the Eagles get close to spoiling their undefeated record.

The Irish will return to action next week when they take on Wake Forest at home at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

“It certainly wasn’t a complete effort,” said head coach Bill Snyder, who acknowledged that, like any game, the victory had left him with plenty to “nitpick” about. “We didn’t play a complete ball game, we left some things on the field.”

After Alabama was upset 29-24 by Texas A&M;, however, the Cats will likely move up to the top spot when the new rankings are released tomorrow.

After leaving in the third quarter of last Saturday’s home win over Oklahoma State with an undisclosed injury, the big question entering the game was whether or not Heisman trophy frontrunner Collin Klein would be ready to play, and how effective he might be.

“We were probably a little conservative for him [in our playcalling],” said Snyder.

After winning the opening coin toss, TCU deferred to the second half, and Klein trotted onto the field, where he completed his first pass for eight yards on second down to move the chains for the Wildcats. On his next throw, Klein was intercepted for just the second time this season.

“Collin’s grinding it out,” said junior wide receiver Tramaine Thompson, who said he wasn’t concerned after the interception, which he credited as a great defensive play. “All week, he’s been making plays in practice. He puts the team on his back.”

K-State’s defense made up for Klein’s miscue, holding the Horned Frogs to a three and out on their first possession. On the next play, Klein put to rest any lingering concerns about his health, hitting Chris Harper over the middle for a 62-yard gain. A few plays later, Klein punched in a score from seven yards out for his 17th rushing touchdown of the season.

The Wildcats’ defense was a force in the first half, forcing TCU to punt on five of their first seven possessions. The Horned Frogs’ only chance in the half to put points on the board was a 45-yard field goal attempt by kicker Jaden Oberkrom that sailed wide right.

Anthony Cantele connected on a 41-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 10-0 lead on their next possession, but the offense couldn’t get much going after that, punting on their next three drives. Even when a muffed punt gave K-State first and goal from TCU’s six, the Wildcats had to settle for another Cantele kick that gave the Wildcats a 13-0 lead.

TCU’s redshirt freshman quarterback Trevonne Boykin, who left the game briefly in the second quarter with an apparent injury to his throwing arm, was intercepted by junior safety Ty Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s fifth pick of the year set Cantele up for a 48-yard field goal attempt that sliced wide right as the half expired.

After TCU was forced to punt on their first possession of the second half, Klein led the Cats on a 4-minute drive down the field, capped with a 34-yard touchdown run to take a 20-0 lead.

The Horned Frogs did not get on the board until a 27-yard field goal by Oberkrom with under seven minutes to go in the game. A 19-yard touchdown pass from Boykin to Brandon Carter with under a minute remaining made the score 23-10. Chris Harper recovered Oberkrom’s onside kick attempt, and Klein took a knee to give the Wildcats their tenth win of the season.

K-State’s defense was key in the victory, finishing with six sacks, including two by senior defensive end Meshak Williams.

The Wildcats are currently ranked second in the BCS standings, behind the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“We don’t really think about it, we just try to move on,” said Thompson, who said the team learned of Alabama’s loss in the locker room after the game. “Everyone’s a little tired, but everyone’s gunning for us, we’re not going to sneak up on anyone anymore.”

Florida continued its season-long trends of slow starts and anemic offense, and on Saturday the result was nearly catastrophic. Sun Belt opponent Louisiana took a lead with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter and held it deep into the fourth. Even after Jacoby Brissett hooked up with Quinton Dunbar to tie the score at 20 with 1:42 remaining, Louisiana was in position to send the game to overtime.

A UF loss would have undone its surprising season, thoroughly overshadowing wins against Southeastern Conference powerhouses South Carolina and LSU.

But when Louisiana-Lafayette’s Brett Baer came on with 13 seconds remaining to attempt a punt — seemingly a mere formality on the way to overtime — Purifoy made the play of the season.

Coach Will Muschamp asked special teams coordinator D.J. Durkin if he had a punt block prepared, and Durkin was confident. “Absolutely,” he said.

So Muschamp made the call: “Black.” That was Purifoy’s signal to go — exactly what he wanted to hear. After lining up 5 yards off the line of scrimmage, Purifoy noted the weak spot in Louisiana’s protection and took a spot on the left side of Florida’s punt-block formation.

He came untouched off the edge and simply put his hand in the path of the ball. He did not make a swatting motion, which would have given him the chance to miss. He needed only to extend his right arm.

“That’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling,” Purifoy said. “That’s a great feeling.”

The deflected ball fluttered to Jelani Jenkins, who hardly had to move after positioning himself about 10 yards off the line to watch for a potential fake. Jenkins and a caravan of unnecessary blockers trotted to the end zone uncontested as Purifoy pointed the way, letting out a leaping fist-pump as his teammate crossed the plane of the goal to seal UF’s 27-20 win on Saturday in The Swamp.

“I saw Jelani catch it and I was just like, ‘Run, please,’” Purifoy said. “’Get in the end zone.’”

“Usually when the ball is blocked, we try to get away from it,” Jenkins said. “But the game was on the line. I saw open field and just tried to make a play.”

Although Georgia’s 38-0 drubbing of Auburn ensured that UGA and not UF will represent the East in the SEC title game, Florida’s win keeps it contention for a premier BCS bowl.

After Caleb Sturgis’ squib kick ran the final 2 seconds off the clock, the Gators stormed the field in celebration.

“In all my years of playing football, I’ve never seen a touchdown like that,” defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd said. “So I went ballistic.”

Defensive end Dominique Easley was dancing and pumping his fist as other Gators exchanged hugs. Purifoy and Jenkins continued to receive congratulations long after the final whistle.

That the Gators had fallen short of the day’s expectations, squeaking out a seven-point win as four-touchdown favorites, was unimportant. All that mattered was Florida improving to 9-1 and moving within a victory against FCS opponent Jacksonville State of finishing the season undefeated at home.

“A win’s a win,” Muschamp said. “We certain make it interesting.”

For the 10th consecutive game, Florida was outgained in the opening quarter. Both Brissett and starter Jeff Driskel struggled to move the ball through the air against a Ragin’ Cajuns unit that entered the game ranked No. 118 nationally pass defense, and Mike Gillislee gained only 45 yards on the ground.

UF’s defense needed time to adjust to Louisiana’s up-tempo attack, regardless of a clear edge in talent.

Early in the fourth quarter, Louisiana held a four-point lead and had first-and-goal on UF’s 7-yard line.

“If we had scored right there instead of the field goal, the game is probably over,” Louisiana coach Mark Hudspeth said.

But, as it has done all season, the Gators defense stiffened, holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to a field goal. Once again, Florida managed to come out on top.

“It’s a football team that’s finding ways to win games,” Muschamp said. “We certainly shot ourselves in the foot enough in the game. … I know one thing: There’s nobody questioning the character in that room and the resolve and the fight.”

Those qualities were on display in Purifoy. After being flagged for pass interference to set up Louisiana’s first touchdown and committing a holding penalty that helped the Ragin’ Cajuns to a field goal in the fourth quarter, Purifoy bounced back with what he called the biggest play of his life.

“I always tell him, especially when you play corner for us, you better have a short memory,” Muschamp said.

Jenkins called the late score the highlight of his career, and neither Muschamp, Floyd, Jenkins nor Purifoy could recall a similar ending.

Finding unlikely ways to pull off comebacks has been commonplace for UF this season.

“It’s becoming a routine,” Purifoy said. “As long as we get the ‘W.’”

As Muschamp met with Hudspeth near midfield after the game, Louisiana’s coach had a simple message: “Great teams find ways to win games. You’ve got a great football team.”

“I don’t know if I’d stretch it that far,” Muschamp said. “But we’ve got a bunch of guys that are playing together, that are playing for each other. They have a strong belief in each other. They have a strong belief in what we’re doing and where we’re headed. The future’s bright.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel completed 24 of 21 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns and gained 92 yards rushing on 18 carries.

Senior receiver Ryan Swope caught 11 passes for 111 yards and a score.

A&M took a 29-17 lead on a Malcolm Kennedy touchdown grab, but Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron led the Crimson Tide back. Alabama had first-and-goal down 29-24, but the A&M defense held and safety Deshazor Everett intercepted McCarron on fourth down.

It appeared A&M would have to punt the ball with 40 seconds remaining, giving Alabama life. But an Alabama penalty gave the Aggies a first down and Manziel took a knee to complete the win.

According to USC’s Ripsit Blog, the student manager was relieved of all his duties after it was discovered the student altered the pressure of the game balls below NCAA-regulated levels prior to the highly anticipated matchup with the Ducks. Footballs that are not properly inflated are easier to handle and provide a softer surface for receivers to latch onto.

Officials discovered the discrepancy in pressure prior to kickoff and reinflated three of the footballs before the start of the game and two more before halftime, according to the Blog.

After the incident was discovered and reported to the Pac-12, USC began an immediate investigation, which resulted in the dismissal of their manager and the incurring of a fine from the conference.

Oregon would not have been using these under deflated footballs since each school is responsible for supplying its own game balls.

After the incident, the manger stated that he had acted “without the knowledge of, or instruction from, any USC student-athlete, coach, staff member or administrator.”

But on the first play of scrimmage during the Trojans’ season, sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee gave a sign of what was to come, catching a screen pass, juking two Hawai’i defenders and galloping 75 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

It looked like the beginning of another beautiful season for Barkley and Lee, but only the latter has lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him.

While Barkley has been bearing the brunt of the blame in the national media for the Trojans’ three losses, Lee has been putting up video-game numbers, and is now USC’s best candidate for the school’s first Heisman winner since Reggie Bush won the award in 2005.

USC’s athletic department has taken notice of this turn of events — on Wednesday, it shifted its focus to Lee’s candidacy by releasing a two-minute YouTube video that begins with the question, “Who is the best player in college football?”

The video goes on to display Lee’s season highlights, subtitled with his eye-popping stats and quotes from opposing coaches.

“Marqise Lee may be the best receiver I’ve had the opportunity to coach against,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly is quoted as saying. He later continued to declare that Lee is “impressive on film, but even more impressive when you watch him in person.”

“He’s not an NFL prospect, he’s an NFL for sure,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “He can start in the NFL right now.”

USC coach Lane Kiffin says gushing comments from rival coaches will end up holding more credence than anything he could say about his star wideout.

“As a head coach, you’re always gonna say good things about your stars,” Kiffin said. “When other people are making statements like that, I think that should be more powerful than a video being sent out or numbers being sent out.”

Still, Lee’s numbers are mighty impressive.

The flanker leads the nation with 88 receptions and 2,007 all-purpose yards, and is second in receiving yards (1,286) and third in touchdowns (12).

In the past two weeks alone, he’s racked up 28 receptions, 502 receiving yards and 877 all-purpose yards.

“It’s unusual for a receiver to have the type of numbers that he’s having,” Kiffin said. “I didn’t have anything to do with the production of the video, but it’d be hard to argue that he’s not playing as well as anybody in America.”

Heisman pundits have somewhat taken notice of Lee’s accomplishments, but as of now, he probably won’t be invited to New York as one of the five Heisman finalists.

On ESPN’s Heisman Watch released Tuesday, Lee was ranked seventh. Kansas State’s Collin Klein garnered 13 out of 15 first-place votes, while Oregon’s Kenjon Barner and Alabama’s AJ McCarron tallied one first-place vote each and finished second and third, respectively.

There are a few disadvantages that Lee will have to overcome to claim the coveted award, the first  being the position he plays.

It’s been over 20 years since a receiver last won the Heisman — Michigan’s Desmond Howard was the last to do so in 1991. Only three wideouts have won the trophy in its 77-year history, and the last 14 winners have been either quarterbacks or running backs.

“He doesn’t get as much touches as a running back would, or a quarterback would,” Kiffin said.

But the biggest obstacle standing in Lee’s way? The number three. As in the amount of losses USC has already suffered this season.

Out of the nine players listed on ESPN’s Heisman Watch, Lee is the only one to play on a team with more than two losses.

In fact, six of the candidates — Klein, Barner, McCarron, Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o, Ohio State’s Braxton Miller and Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater — have yet to experience the agony of defeat this season.

Kiffin thinks Lee’s record-breaking game (345 receiving yards) against Arizona two weeks ago lost some of its luster because of the team’s subsequent defeats.

“You have some historical performances coming out of [Barkley] and Marqise that are being missed,” Kiffin said. “We always tell our players, ‘The more games you win, the more awards come.’”

If that’s true, then it doesn’t really matter if Lee continues to stockpile receptions, all-purpose yards and touchdowns.

Unfortunately, if we don’t see the Trojans in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl come January, then we won’t see Lee in New York, either.

It sounds cliche, but it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t have something of a knack for coaching on the road. In his short tenure in Eugene, the visor-clad architect behind the blur offense has lost just two true road games and none since his first season.

Oregon lost its season opener to Boise State in 2009 in a game overshadowed by something that happened afterwards (you know the thing) and wasn’t able to slow down the Stanford Cardinal’s Toby Gerhart later that same year. But since Oregon’s comeback against Stanford fell short on Nov. 7 three years ago, they have been undefeated on the road — losses to LSU, Ohio State and Auburn all came on neutral fields, and last year’s USC game was the only time Kelly wasn’t victorious at Autzen Stadium.

All told, the Ducks are 18-5 away from the friendly confines, with some of the most notable wins coming in recent history.

There was the game against Arizona in 2009 that looked destined to knock the Ducks out of the Rose Bowl. Oregon was losing, desperately driving down the field for the game-tying score. Then, with Arizona’s student section already spilled out onto the grass, anticipating an opportunity to rush the field, Jeremiah Masoli marched his troops down the field and tied the game. Oregon would go on to win in overtime, and the rest was history.

A year later, with the Ducks already off to a 9-0 start, Kelly’s men took the field at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley and were downright stymied. Oregon was held to just 15 points — the second-lowest point total in the Kelly Era — but still managed to win, admittedly with some help from a missed field goal from Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio and a lot of help from a rare clock-eating drive from the Ducks’ offense.

It was the last time the Ducks were really slowed down offensively, and it’s fair to say it’s among the most nerve-wracking wins in recent memory. But maybe it shouldn’t have been because the Ducks led at halftime — and Oregon has never lost under Kelly when leading after 30 minutes. In fact, the Ducks have only lost one game under his leadership when they led at the end of any quarter.

But not all of Kelly’s road wins have been so close.

Last season’s greatest road triumph was a three-touchdown win over a Stanford team then ranked in the top five, and a predictably dominant 45-2 win over Colorado in Boulder. Just a few weeks before the nail-biting win over Cal in 2010, the Ducks marched into the Coliseum and put 53 points on the board — one of USC’s worse home losses (that is, until the Ducks scored nine more on their next trip to Los Angeles). When Oregon traveled to Neyland Stadium in Tennessee for its most ambitious road nonconference game — the Volunteers head to Autzen next season — and overcame a shaky start to roll to a 48-13 win in the heart of SEC country.

That game against the Vols also featured an extensive lightening delay, and Kelly’s analysis of the delay falls right in line with his philosophy in general: “We had a delay, but they had the same delay — it’s just in how you handle it,” he said at the time.

This year, Oregon has once again looked just as good inside Autzen Stadium as they’ve looked on the road, and the reason why starts and ends with Kelly’s painfully simplistic philosophy: What the Ducks can control, they do. What they can’t, they don’t worry about.

What separates his philosophy from others’ coachspeak is simply how effective it is. Ask any member of the Ducks about playing on the road, and they’ll tell you they don’t treat road games any differently — and it’s not a case of Kelly telling his players the same thing over and over again, either. The bigger deal he makes of road games, Kelly has said, the more players will start to treat them as fundamentally different.

Winning on the road in the Pac-12 is important, too. Never mind the fact that the college football playoffs essentially begin in week one. Pac-12 teams play more key games on the road than do major conference schools that play only eight league games. Because the Pac-12 plays nine conference games each year, the Ducks must play five of those games on the road every other year.

It’s not that Kelly’s teams literally don’t notice where they play. He admitted last week he enjoys playing in stadiums like the Coliseum, Husky Stadium and Neyland Stadium because of their traditions and game day atmosphere. But once the game starts, it’s all about competition.

“We’re a very competitive bunch,” Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota said before the Ducks traveled to Arizona State earlier this season. “I think as competitors, you look forward to going into different atmospheres, especially hostile ones.”

“Collin was more than willing to come here today and talk to you guys,” said Snyder. “That is the type of person he is. However, I did not want him to be bombarded with questions. I do not want him to have to come and have all kinds of pressure on him that he does not deserve.”

With Klein leaving the game early, it forced Daniel Sams to play quarterback. Luckily, he had help as Angelo Pease ran the ball effectively, a lot of the time in the wildcat formation. Pease talked on Tuesday about his performance against Oklahoma State.

“I think that because of the situation of the game and the way the offense was running, they put the offense on me to try to end the game,” Pease said. “I have to give it to my offensive line. Without them, I would never have been able to do what I did at the end of the game.”

The upcoming game took a backseat to all of the talk focusing on Klein’s status. Yet K-State will be taking on a very dangerous TCU team this weekend that is coming off of an incredible 39-38 double-overtime victory over West Virginia. During the game, redshirt freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, including a 94-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Josh Boyce that helped send the game into overtime. Snyder talked about the impressive play of the freshman quarterback.

“He is obviously someone that has a lot of talent,” Snyder said. “He has a lot of zip on his throws and can make some plays with his feet. He is the type of guy — if he wasn’t a good quarterback, he would be a very effective running back. He is someone our defense needs to be ready for.”

One of those defensive players, senior cornerback Allen Chapman, is coming off of a career game in which he had three interceptions. He was also named Walter Camp defensive player of the week and will be a huge part of slowing down the Horned Frogs offense.

With Klein’s availability unknown at this point, the defense may be called upon to step up its game in the case that he is unable to play. With their performance thus far on the season, K-State’s defenders have shown they are up to the challenge.

The Wildcats go into the game at 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the BCS, trailing only Alabama. With three games left in the regular season, the race is on for the last four undefeated teams to prove which are the two best teams in the country.

Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday in Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The game will be shown on Fox with Gus Johnson and Charles Davis on the call.

In the 29-26 win Saturday, the Irish (9-0) needed a two-point conversion, three overtimes and a missed field goal to secure a victory over the pesky Panthers.

Irish coach Brian Kelly said he liked the way the team prepared but not the way they played.

“I told the football team that they had the heart of a champion in the way that they battled through triple overtime,” Kelly said. “But now that we understand that we will fight in battle, we’ve got to have the head of a champion, too. The head of a champion understand that each and every week you’re going to get the opposition’s very best.”

The Irish will hit the road to face Boston College (2-7) on Saturday at 8 p.m. In five home games this season, Notre Dame has won by an average of 4.6 points. But away from Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish have won by 28 points per game.

Kelly said each game becomes tougher as the season progresses.

“This group has not been 9-0, so they have learned about how difficult it gets as you get down to just a few games left in the season,” Kelly said. “Everybody can make their season beating Notre Dame.”

The Eagles enter Saturday’s game ranked 116th (out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams) in rushing defense, giving up almost 234 yards per outing. They also rank 119th in both sacks and tackles for loss.

Kelly said the Irish still need to play their best.

“This is new territory for them and they’re learning,” Kelly said. “I sensed and felt in talking to our guys that they clearly understand that they can’t play the game any less than their very best if they want to win. So I think that message resonated.”

Golson bounces back

Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson returned in the win over Pittsburgh after a brief benching to lead Notre Dame to a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter.

“He hadn’t been in that situation where I felt like when I looked at him he was ready to get back in there,” Kelly said. “He was ready to get back in the game and knew what he needed to do.”

Golson finished the game 23-for-42 for 227 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added 74 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion on the ground.

In the fourth quarter and overtime periods, Golson accounted for 164 of 223 total yards, nearly 75 percent.

“That quarterback will be the one that drives [the offense],” Kelly said. “He’ll have athleticism. He’ll have the ability to throw the football. He’s a [redshirt] freshman. I’m reminded of it every single day.”

Golson had been pulled from games against Purdue and Michigan, and he missed the end of the Stanford game and all of the BYU game with a concussion.

Kelly said Golson has had to adjust to being taken out.

“He’s walked through every game he’s played,” Kelly said. “He’s been the best player on the field. He’s dealing with, you know, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever been taken out of a game.’”

Injury updates

Junior offensive tackle Tate Nichols may miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, Kelly announced. Nichols did not play in his first two seasons and has seen action in just one game this year.

Junior nose guard Louis Nix is fully recovered from a bout with the flu, but Kelly said a few players are still battling illnesses.

After Alabama’s thrilling 21-17 win over LSU, it’s never been more critical.

“We’ve got to forget about this last game. We’ve got to move on,” Saban said. “I told the players that right after the game. I think they have a lot of respect for this team. It’d be pretty difficult not to respect this team based on their body of work and what they’ve accomplished this season.”

Alabama hosts No. 15 Texas A&M this week, which has surprised the college football world during its first season in the SEC.

“It was a crazy experience last week,” offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio said. “Now it’s time to move on. I had my 24 hours to reflect on the game. Now all I’m worried about is the Texas A&M team and its defensive front, which is pretty impressive.”

Linebacker C.J. Mosley echoed his coach’s words.

“It’s time. It’s time to get ready for Texas A&M,” he said. “So that game is done and over with. What happened, happened. We’ve just got to get ready for this game.”

Players reflect on final drive

Alabama’s last-minute drive to defeat LSU will certainly be remembered as a defining moment during the 2012 season. But it wasn’t exactly easy to watch from the sideline.

“My eyes were closed,” linebacker Adrian Hubbard said. “When they threw the ball, all I heard was yelling, and I looked up and there was T.J. running down the sideline for a touchdown. …All I saw was AJ [McCarron]. He caught the Holy Ghost sliding on the ground, and I kind of dragged him, telling him, ‘Get up, we’ve got 50 seconds still left in this game. We have to win.’”

On the field, wide receiver Kevin Norwood, who caught three of the four passes of the drive, said the mood was calm and collected.

“It was straight focus,” he said. “We knew we had to move the ball down the field. We knew we had to get something going, either a field goal or a touchdown. We held our fours to the sky, like we always do, and we changed the game.”

Alabama practices two-minute drills every Thursday. While the offensive and defensive players weren’t exactly in agreement on which unit has won more, they all agreed that it played a big role in creating the memorable play.

“When we got the ball back for the last drive? It was just two-minute drill. We do that every Thursday,” Kouandjio said. “Honestly, we looked in each other’s eyes and we knew we were all going to do our jobs. We all had extreme confidence. We had a job to do and it was time to execute.”

Injury update

Saban said that besides the routine bumps and bruises, the only injured player was running back Eddie Lacy, who would not practice Monday due to a tweaked ankle. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is still sore, but will practice this week, according to Saban.

Kickoff set for Western Carolina

Alabama announced Monday that the Crimson Tide’s game vs. Western Carolina on Nov. 17 will kick off at 11:21 a.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

The violation, which was self-reported by the IU athletic department on June 22, involved Mark Adams, a booster of the IU Varsity Club who donated a total of $185 from 1986 to 1992 — before either Jurkin or Mosquera-Perea were born. Through his non-profit organization, A-HOPE, Adams allegedly helped both the freshmen and former IU basketball player Tijan Jobe, who played for IU from 2008-10. Adams created A-HOPE to support international athletes who hope to pursue athletic and academic dreams in the U.S.

Adams reportedly gave $6,000 to Jurkin and $8,000 to Mosquera-Perea for expenses covering food, clothing, housing, travel, toiletries, cell phones and laptops, among other items, while both players were being recruited by IU.

Fred Glass, IU vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, said in a press release that though he was disappointed the events took place, he thinks the athletic department dealt with the situation in the proper manner.

“At the NCAA’s direction, we conducted an extensive and thorough review in cooperation and consultation with the NCAA Basketball Focus Group,” Glass said. “While I am very disappointed with these circumstances, I am very pleased with the way we have responded and appreciative of the NCAA’s professional guidance and assistance. I would also like to thank Mark Adams for his forthright candor and cooperation in this matter.”

The NCAA ruled that, in addition to the nine-game suspension, Jurkin must repay $250 of his impermissible expenses and Mosquera-Perea will have to pay back $1,589.69.

The IU athletic department said in the release that the team plans to appeal the suspensions, which will put both freshmen on the bench until the Hoosiers play Butler on Dec. 15 in Indianapolis at the Crossroads Classic.

Yet at the game’s conclusion, the scoreboard showed the Irish were still perfect: Notre Dame 29, Pittsburgh 26.

After the Irish (9-0) held the Panthers (4-5, 1-3 Big East) to a field goal in the opening portion of the third overtime, sophomore quarterback Everett Golson plunged into the end zone on a one-yard quarterback sneak to give Notre Dame its first 9-0 start since 1993 in a game that often seemed likely to hand the Irish their first loss of the season.

“We all believe in each other,” Irish senior running back Theo Riddick said. “I think we showed a lot of courage and a lot of belief out there today, because there were a lot of times we could have gave up.”

Pittsburgh and Notre Dame traded field goals in the first overtime and the Irish started with possession in the second overtime, driving to the Pittsburgh two-yard line. On second-and-goal, senior running back Cierre Wood dove into the end zone but fumbled before the goal line and the Panthers recovered.

Pittsburgh gained nine yards on its first three plays of the second overtime and lined up for a game-winning 33-yard attempt, but Panther kicker Kevin Harper pushed the ball wide right, setting up the Irish triumph in the next overtime session.

“We had an opportunity there, a golden opportunity,” Pittsburgh coach Paul Chryst said. “We didn’t get it done.”

The missed Panther field goal was not the only close call the Irish escaped. Down 20-6 early in the fourth quarter with the ball at Pittsburgh’s 23-yard line, Golson threw an incomplete pass toward senior tight end Tyler Eifert on 4th-and-four, but Pittsburgh junior defensive back K’Waun Williams committed pass interference.

The next play, Golson rolled to his right and slung the ball across the field to junior receiver T.J. Jones, who raced to the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good.

After the Irish defense stopped the Panthers, the Notre Dame offense took over on its two-yard line down eight with 9:57 left in regulation. Golson orchestrated a drive into the Pittsburgh red zone, but Williams intercepted the sophomore in the end zone with 3:59 remaining.

“It was just a bad pass,” Golson said. “It was a horrible read, but I think even with the read I made, if I get that ball up a little bit to [sophomore tight end] Troy [Niklas], it’s a touchdown in back of the end zone.”

The Irish defense notched a three-and-out after the interception and Golson took over once again from the 50-yard line with 3:03 to play. On the first play of the drive, Golson bought time in the pocket before he heaved a 45-yard pass to sophomore receiver DaVaris Daniels.

“I think the whole week I’ve kind of been on DaVaris about when a play breaks down, improvising and just getting open, and he did it one time before,” Golson said. “But I was so fortunate that he did that. You know, that’s what I was just trying to do, was just improvise.”

The next play, Golson was flushed out of the pocket but found Riddick in the end zone to pull the Irish within two with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter.

On the two-point conversion, Golson rolled to his right looking for a receiver before tucking the ball and diving for the end zone.

“It’s a three-pronged play,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said. “The first part of it is a sprint out, rollout, man-to-man, rollover to [senior receiver] Robby Toma. The second element is a clear out and delay for Eifert to come back and then the third is the quarterback to keep it.”

The Irish drove 60 yards on the game’s opening drive, but were forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza. Pittsburgh senior running back Ray Graham broke a 55-yard run on the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage, which led to a Harper field goal to tie.

The Irish sustained another long drive that reached the one-yard line but again only mustered three points. The Panthers responded with a 16-yard touchdown run by Graham to take a 10-6 lead with 3:55 left in the half.

Despite a 43-22 advantage in the number of plays and possession of the ball for 19:26 in the first half, the Irish went into halftime down 10-6.

Notre Dame began the second half with junior Tommy Rees at quarterback. But after a Rees interception on the second drive of the half, Kelly chose Golson the rest of the way.

“[Everett] missed a number of things that we thought he needed to have down by this time,” Kelly said. “[I] brought Tommy in, had an untimely turnover and went back to Everett.”

Pittsburgh extended its lead to 17-6 when redshirt senior quarterback Tino Sunseri found freshman tight end J.P. Holtz on a nine-yard touchdown pass.

Later in the third quarter, the Panthers drove deep in Notre Dame territory after a 48-yard run from Graham, but the Irish defense stiffened and held Pittsburgh to a field goal.

Notre Dame carried that momentum the rest of the game, as Pittsburgh gained only 21 total yards in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.

“We went back to the basics,” senior captain and linebacker Manti Te’o said. “If [Graham is] running in your gap, stay in your gap. We understand Ray Graham is a really good running back … and in the fourth quarter, [we said], ‘Everybody, stay in your field, do your responsibility and let Ray come to you.’”

Though Notre Dame’s performance was subpar at times, the Irish remained one of just six undefeated teams in the FBS.

“It feels great,” senior captain and tackle Zack Martin said. “That’s the biggest message in that locker room. We’re 9-0. We’re still undefeated. And although we had a lot of mistakes and we have a lot of things to clean up, we’ve still got that ‘zero’ on our record.”

The Irish look to secure a double-digit win season for the first time since 2006 when they travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to face Boston College on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Another Heisman-like performance from quarterback Collin Klein highlighted the evening with the senior completing 16 passes out of 22 attempts for 245 yards. The senior also added 72 yards on the ground on 17 carries with a touchdown, giving him his 50th rushing touchdown of his career.

After giving the Wildcats a 38-20 lead at the 9:47 mark of the third quarter, Klein saw his night come to an end after an injury required him to find his place on the sideline. Head coach Bill Snyder would not comment on the nature or severity of the injury, which remained undisclosed as of Saturday night after the game.

The situation forced quarterback Daniel Sams to step in and the freshman provided a little more of a glimpse as to what’s in store for the future.

Whether Klein’s departure is what allowed Oklahoma State to close the gap is debatable, but overall Snyder said he was pleased with what his freshman backup quarterback displayed in a time of need.

“I thought Daniel did reasonably well,” Snyder said. “He did not make any major mistakes, he ran out of bounds one time when we were trying to run the clock out. He does not have that figured out yet. Aside from that, he managed the game okay.”

The Wildcats were able to rattle Oklahoma State starting quarterback Wes Lunt for much of his performance, forcing the freshman to throw three interceptions in a little over two quarters of action.

With the Wildcats holding a slim 24-17 margin with under three minutes left in the first half, cornerback Allen Chapman picked off Lunt for his first of three interceptions, returning it for 29 yards and a score.

The defensive touchdown provided K-State with much needed cushion and gave the Wildcats the start of an easily decided turnover margin.

Chapman’s play has faced as much scrutiny as anyone’s this season and the senior delivered in a big way.

“He’s a great player,” senior linebacker Jarell Childs said of his teammate. “We all know that he’s a great player and for him to come out and have a great game like that, I’m proud of him. I knew that he could do it. I’m sure he would, I want to give thanks to our D-line for getting pressure which made him able to get those picks.”

The Wildcats have won the turnover battle in every game so far this season and stretched its season turnover margin to plus 20 after Saturday’s contest.

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said his team’s mistakes obviously were crucial and it was disappointing to see his team’s display.

“That is as poorly as we have played on special teams and obviously turned the ball over in a long time,” Gundy said. “I’m not saying they do not do a good job but a lot of them are self-inflicted.”

The Wildcats were able to continue its special teams dominance against the Cowboys, tallying 199 yards on four returns.

Wide receiver and return man Tyler Lockett added his second kickoff return for a touchdown this season after taking a second quarter kick 100 yards with 7:35 left in the second quarter.

The return gives the sophomore his fourth kickoff return for a touchdown in his career. The specialist is now tied for fourth in Big 12 history.

“It was pretty great,” Lockett said. “It was a big play in this game that got us going. Unfortunately, they answered back with one of their own, but we responded to adversity. Our kickoff returns were able to get us into good field position tonight.”

The Wildcats hit the road next week to take on TCU for the first time as a Big 12 Conference member. The Horned Frogs are coming off a double overtime win in Morgantown, W. Va. against the Mountaineers, giving the team a strong, season-defining win.

“TCU is a very good football team,” said sophomore center BJ Finney said. “They are a very tough defense. They have a young quarterback and he’s figuring things out; he’s doing things well. They are a great football team and it’s going to be a test on the road next week.”

They ran the ball effectively, the defense came up with timely turnovers and the pass rush  showed talent and depth.

They won ugly.

But what made No. 7 Florida’s (8-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) 14-7 win against Missouri different from its first seven victories was that when the Gators left the field, they weren’t in total control of their postseason future.

As a result of Georgia’s 37-10 victory against Ole Miss on Saturday, Florida needs UGA to lose to SEC West bottom feeder Auburn next week. A Bulldogs win keeps the Gators from achieving their primary goal: playing for the SEC championship in Atlanta.

Still, coach Will Muschamp was pleased with UF’s effort against Missouri (4-5, 1-5 SEC) and throughout conference play. The 2012 Gators are the 12th team in school history to win seven conference games.

“That’s a credit to those players,” Muschamp said of the seven-win mark. “It’s a credit to buying in, to hanging together, to facing adversity, to facing a tough schedule … and bouncing back after a tough week. Really proud of the players, and we did what we had to do to win the football game.”

As was the case in each of the first eight games this season, Florida was outgained in the first quarter on Saturday, albeit by a slim margin of 72-69. UF also came back from a halftime deficit for the fourth time this year after the Tigers took a 7-0 lead into the break. Omarius Hines said Florida has mastered the art of having a short memory.

“Just can’t let people get their head down,” Hines said. “It’s a 60-minute game. That was 30 minutes of it. Halftime, when we go back out there, it’s 0-0. That’s the kind of mentality we have.”

Hines tied the game with a 36-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep handoff from Trey Burton early in the second half. Until that point, the Gators defense had kept UF in the game, just as it has numerous times this season.

Missouri’s first four possessions ended with three punts and a Jaylen Watkins interception.

“In all my years as a defensive coordinator, regardless of the circumstances, our job is to make stops,” Muschamp said when asked about the defense carrying the team. “I always tell them ‘You’re the fireman. Go put the fire out. I don’t care how bad it’s blazing. Go put it out.’”

Florida, which entered Saturday ranked 10th in the SEC in sacks with 16, tied a season-high with four against Franklin thanks to an improved four-man pass rush.

Freshmen Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard each had standout performances.

Fowler recorded two tackles for a loss and a sack while Bullard had 1.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd made three tackles for a loss to push his team lead in the category to 10 — four more than any other Gator.

Floyd said that as the game wore on, Florida’s defenders grew more confident.

“[UF’s defense is] just relentless,” Floyd said. “Any time something good or bad happens before the defense goes on the field, coach says, ‘Go get them.’ And we went and got them.”

Whenever the Tigers had success moving the ball, the Gators responded.

Safety Matt Elam picked off Franklin on the UF 4-yard line with the game tied in the third quarter. On the ensuing possession, Florida took the lead on a 45-yard touchdown reception by Mike Gillislee on a screen pass.

Missouri covered 59 yards in less than two minutes before Franklin threw his fourth interception of the game to end the Tigers’ final drive. Josh Evans picked off the pass in the end zone to secure the seven-point victory.

The Gators do not have to win pretty to end their season on a big stage. With a No. 6 BCS ranking, UF simply needs to win out to have a chance at receiving an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl.

If that requires the defense to put the team on its back, defensive tackle Omar Hunter will be happy to shoulder the load.

“We love it when our back’s against the wall and everything is put on us,” Hunter said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“This is a process. We’re going to keep building, we’re going to keep playing the right way, we’re going to respect the game, this great university and we’re going to go out there and play with effort,” Ollie said.

The players noticed Ollie’s positive reaction to the negative start.

“It’s a lot better because he stayed positive with us and just told us to play hard, play our game and play UConn basketball,” sophomore DeAndre Daniels said.

Daniels grabbed nine rebounds and scored eight points at power forward.

“The mistakes, we would have heard about them a lot differently from Coach Calhoun,” sophomore Ryan Boatright said.

Boatright was second on the team with 14 points.

New Kids on the Block
The 2012-13 UConn Huskies feature four newcomers, three freshmen and a transfer to the program. Graduate student R.J. Evans started 88 games and averaged 12.4 points a game in four seasons as a Holy Cross Crusader. The Salem, Conn. native entered the game halfway through the first half with the Huskies down six. He immediately stole the ball and darted towards the hoop, made the lay-up and was fouled.

“R.J. is our rock that I look to, and he came in and settled us down,” Ollie said.

Evans finished the game with five points in 15 minutes.

The Huskies have found another talented New York City guard in Omar Calhoun. He was ranked No. 32 overall and seventh among all shooting guards by ESPN.com. He fumbled the ball out of bounds on his first touch and missed his first two shots. But Calhoun would rebound as he stole the show Thursday night, scoring a game-high 24 points and made 8 of 14 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point land.

“Being from New York, being a Brooklyn kid, it’s just something I was brought up with,” Calhoun said about his confidence on the court. “I’m definitely going to keep pushing it. I’m looking forward to getting better every day.”

The newest big man is Phillip Nolan from Milwaukee, Wis. Nolan missed all three field goal attempts, including back-to-back lay-ups early in the second half. He did grab a pair of rebounds, but fouled out after playing only nine minutes.

Ollie adds a third German to his squad this year, a 6’8” sharp shooter from Berlin, Leon Tolksdorf. He only played three minutes in the second half and did not record a shot.

Looking Ahead
UConn’s next and final exhibition is Sunday at 1 p.m. against another NE-10 opponent, the UMass-Lowell River Hawks at the XL Center in Hartford. Former UConn player Souleymane Wane is a part-time assistant at UMass-Lowell. He played at Connecticut from 1997-2001 and is a member of the 1999 national championship team.

Notre Dame (8-0) is off to its best start since 2002, but a win would push it to 9-0 for the first time since 1993. In 2002, Notre Dame returned from a victory over Florida State to drop a game to Boston College. Irish coach Brian Kelly said the past will have no impact on the current team.

“I really focus strictly on the guys that are in the room and how we prepare them,” Kelly said. “I do not use history lessons as much as I want them to realize what it takes to win week in and week out.

“What will affect how this team plays is how they prepare during the week and that is what I can control and that’s what our players can control.”

Kelly said the hot start to the season can be attributed to the team’s preparation and focus.

“They have handled success early in the season, and they have shown that they understand that if they don’t prepare the right way, that they’ll lose. We’re not good enough to not prepare properly, and I think they know that,” Kelly said. “For us, more than anything else is that you can prepare well, but if you’re not going to play a tough brand of football mentally and physically, then you can lose every week that you play.”

Golson still improving

In the win over Oklahoma, sophomore quarterback Everett Golson completed 13 of 25 passes for 177 yards while also running the ball 11 times for 64 yards. Despite a solid, mistake-free performance from Golson, Kelly said some aspects of his game need improvement.

“The passing game still needs to improve,” Kelly said. “You know, we had where we consider four, maybe five opportunities that we left out there in terms of throwing the ball. So we want to see a higher passing efficiency in that respect.

“What we need now is to put together a string of games back to back.”

Kelly said the coaching staff will be asking more out of Golson following a good outing in a hostile environment against a top-10 opponent.

“Any time that you go on the road and you play with confidence and real good communication, you would hope that that — okay, we’re going to move to that next level,” Kelly said. “But we’ll see, you know, and what we’ll see is consistency of performance will be the next step for him … I think we demand more. Our expectations are high.”

No BCS politics

Notre Dame is just one spot in the rankings away from a potential date in the national championship game, but Kelly said he will steer clear of campaigning for Notre Dame.

“I’ve got great people that can fill me in on all those things, and that’s their job to feed you guys all that information as it relates to the politics,” Kelly said. “I got out of politics once. I’m not getting back in it.”

Notre Dame is one of four undefeated teams at the top of the BCS rankings. The Irish are behind No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Kansas State, and No. 4 Oregon trails the Irish by just .0011 points.

Assuming Florida disposes of  4-4 Missouri on Saturday, a Georgia loss to either Ole Miss or Auburn in the next two weeks would send Coach Boom and his boys to Atlanta.

That’s not going to happen. I mean, c’mon, right?

The Gators said they wouldn’t keep an eye on the out-of-town scores, and I don’t blame them. Hoping the Bulldogs lose to the Rebels or the Tigers is just depressing.

But that doesn’t mean you and I can’t talk about the entertaining possibility.

Ole Miss is a so-so squad, and Auburn is just awful.

Usually, the Tigers would present a stiff test, but since Satan is apparently out to get Gene Chizik — just ask his wife — Auburn is a terrible football team this season.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of both the Rebels and the Tigers, let’s talk about ways  the Bulldogs could pull off a colossal failure of epic proportions.

1. Georgia plays down to its competition — The Bulldogs have nearly lost against sub-par conference foes twice this season.

On Sept. 29, Georgia simply outscored Tennessee in a 51-44 victory. Not until UGA forced back-to-back turnovers by UT quarterback Tyler Bray in the game’s final three minutes did the Bulldogs escape at home against a team that is winless in SEC play this season.

On the road at Kentucky on Oct. 20, Georgia eked out a 29-24 victory. Aaron Murray’s 427 passing yards and four touchdowns overshadowed the team’s 77 rushing yards on 32 carries against the 11th-best rush defense in the SEC.

Who says Georgia won’t stoop to the level of Ole Miss and Auburn?

2. Momentum — The Tigers are just terrible, but the Rebels are riding high.

Back-to-back victories against Auburn and Arkansas may not sound impressive, but for an Ole Miss squad many expected to finish last in the SEC West, it’s one hell of a feat.

Also, keep in mind that the Rebels have some good-looking losses.

Aside from a 35-point loss to Texas, Ole Miss played top-ranked Alabama closer than any other team this season in a 33-14 loss on Sept. 29. Seven days later, Ole Miss nearly upset No. 16 Texas A&M, falling 30-27.

3. The SEC West — In his first seven seasons at the helm in Athens, Ga., coach Mark Richt compiled a 19-5 record against SEC West foes. Since 2008, he is 7-6 against the division.

4. Ole Miss is kind of average — The Rebels may not be setting the world ablaze, but they rank sixth or higher in the SEC in scoring offense, rushing offense, total offense, passing offense, pass efficiency, sacks, first downs, third-down conversions, fourth-down conversions, penalties, red zone offense and red zone defense. So, yeah. They’re not terrible like Auburn.

5. Auburn is basically an FCS team — Remember that time when Appalachian State beat Michigan? Maybe that could happen.

Hope is the ultimate double-edged sword. It can get you through tough times, but it will just as easily crush your dreams.

My advice? Root for Georgia.

Alabama is clearly the best team in the nation, and Florida should want no part of the defending national champions unless the crystal football is on the line.

If the Gators finish the regular season second in the SEC East with an 11-1 record, their BCS title hopes stand a much better chance than those of the Bulldogs, who are unlikely to survive the wrath of the Crimson Tide in Atlanta.

Alabama benefitted from not playing in the SEC title game last year, earning a rematch against LSU and ultimately winning the national championship.

So, enjoy these next few weeks of football. Florida has overachieved this season, and the national championship  race is technically ongoing.

“I played there in 2010 and it was difficult, a tough environment; the fans are into it as much as the players,” senior safety Robert Lester said. “Being an older guy, having experience, having been in those situations, you have to tune it out as much as you can. You’ve got to let the younger guys know that it can’t play a big factor in the game, throw you out of your game.”

Miles’ quote has made its way around the Alabama locker room and into the weight room. Strength coach Scott Cochran read the quote to players as they went through their workouts and the message has stuck.

“I don’t understand Les Miles,” wide receiver Kevin Norwood said. “But at the same time, Death Valley is a tough place to play, especially when they got their crowd behind them, especially when they got a good defense. So we’re just going to have to bring our A-game and focus on what we gotta do.”

Running back Eddie Lacy conjured another reason.

“The name of it,” he said. “When you have to go play somewhere called Death Valley, you’re like, ‘uh…’ You know, they’re going to have the crowd, they’re going to have their energy going. Just the stadium, especially when you play at nighttime. That’s a different effect.”

Injury update

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said quarterback AJ McCarron and wide receiver Amari Cooper would be limited in practice Monday as they recover from injuries. McCarron sustained a “back contusion” in Saturday’s game, while Cooper twisted his ankle.

“We’ve got a couple of guys like always that’ll be a little slow today probably,” Saban said. “But we look for them to progress pretty rapidly through the week and be OK, probably even by tomorrow.”

Staff players of the week

Nine Alabama players were recognized by the coaching staff for their performances following Saturday’s 38-7 victory over No. 11 Mississippi State. Guard Chance Warmack, tight end Michael Williams and running back T.J. Yeldon were named players of the week on offense, while linebackers Denzel Devall and C.J. Mosley represented the defense. On special teams, defensive back John Fulton, wide receivers Christion Jones and Cyrus Jones and punter Cody Mandell were selected.

Most of them, unfortunately, weren’t so good.

Senior quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 493 yards, a school record. But he threw two interceptions and missed a wide-open Robert Woods down the sideline that might have put the game out of reach for Arizona.

The USC defense? That one that was built to defend the spread? Not so much. They gave up 26 straight points yesterday and couldn’t get off the field at the end of the contest.

Oh, and “Unfinished Business” is officially finished. There will be no national title this year (though I wouldn’t count the Rose Bowl out quite yet).

But there was one positive that came out of yesterday. And it came in the form of sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee.

Lee caught 16 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Four of those receptions were for 40 or more yards.

Lee took five-yard slants and turned them into 50-yard gains. He looked like the best player in football Saturday. There was no one on that field who could have stopped Lee.

I’ve been wanting to write this column for a long time now; I’ve thought about it since the first game against Hawai’i. So here we go: Marqise Lee is the best player in college football.

This comes with apologies to Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, who is the presumptive favorite to win the Heisman trophy right now, or Manti Te’o, the Notre Dame linebacker who could be the first defensive player to win the sport’s most prestigious award since Charles Woodson. But Lee is the most explosive, most consistent player I have seen in a long time.

USC has had some great receivers in recent years: Mike Williams, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett and even Robert Woods.

But Lee’s ability to get down the field and make plays with the ball in his hands is unparalleled.

To put it in perspective: Lee’s 345 yards were the fifth-most in a single game in college football history. The USC record was 260 yards; he almost had that at the half.

I guess when it comes down to it, the Heisman doesn’t always go to the nation’s best player; it goes to the one with the most hype who comes up clutch in big moments. Robert Griffin III was the perfect example; his last second, game-winning touchdown pass against Oklahoma in 2011 was the iconic moment of the college football season.

Lee has single-handedly kept USC in several games this season. Against Utah, it was his 83-yard reception that sealed the win for the Trojans. Against Stanford, Lee’s playmaking down the field was the lone bright spot in an otherwise atrocious offensive performance by the team.

And then there was Saturday.

Lee was the reason USC’s offense had any sort of success. The running game wasn’t great. Woods wasn’t tearing things up. And when players weren’t dropping passes, they were committing personal fouls.

But Lee caught everything that came his way. Even when a pass was off, it still stuck to his hands. Then, he ran with the ball like there was no one around him.

And remember, it was his 72-yard kickoff return that set the Trojans up for their touchdown in the waning minutes of the ball game.

I don’t think there is a player in college football that means more to his team than Marqise Lee.

With apologies to Barkley, who I have the utmost respect for, Lee makes this team go. When things are stagnant, he is the go-to guy.

And when Lee doesn’t get the ball? Well, that’s what happened against the Wildcats in the second half. The Trojans could only muster 15 more points. In other words, the offense disappears.

I know that one big game from a player doesn’t make a season or mean a player should get postseason accolades. But Lee’s performance in Tucson was a microcosm of everything he has done the entire season: He has put the team on his back and has consistently been the best player on the field at all times, bar none.

Marqise Lee is the best player in college football — and I don’t even think it is particularly close. And if he doesn’t get invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, it will be the biggest travesty since Barkley wasn’t invited in 2011.

So, USC fans, things aren’t looking as good as they could be. And Oregon and Notre Dame, both heavy hitters, loom around the corner.

But with Lee on the squad, there is one thing that Trojan spectators and fans can be assured of: They are watching the best player in college football every time No. 9 steps on the field.

The San Francisco Giants rushed the mound as they swept their way to become the 2012 World Series champions in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

It was an almost sure victory to close out the World Series until the Tigers found their offense in game four, challenging the Giants into overtime.

The Giants took the lead early in the top of the second with Hunter Pence getting a solid hit that bounced right over the outfield wall, which held him to a double. Brandon Belt then took the initiative and smacked a triple to score Pence, who brought in the first run for the Giants, making it a 1-0 ball game.

The Tigers answered in the bottom of the third with a walk to Gerald Laird, who was issued from starting pitcher Matt Cain. Quintin Barry attempted to lay down a bunt, but was thrown out while advancing Laird to third. Miguel Cabrera then stepped to the plate to do some damage against Cain, taking hold of the lead in a 1-2 game.

It wasn’t until the top of the sixth that the Giants were able to break down Tigers’ starting pitcher Max Scherzer with a base hit by Marco Scutaro. Buster Posey ended his hitting drought with a homerun to take back the lead from the Tigers in a 3-2 ball game.

With two outs at the start of the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers chased the Giants right back with a one-run homer by Delmon Young to tie up the game.

As closing pitchers took to the hill with Jeremy Affeldt for the Giants, and Phil Coke for the Tigers, it became a pitching duel late in the game. The top of the ninth consisted of three strikeouts from the Giants’ lineup for a quick one, two and three.

Affeldt held strong coming into the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout to Andy Dirks, but was taken a little too deeply by Jhonny Peralta. Santiago Casilla then stepped in to take over for the last out of the inning, but pelted Omar Infante in the hand with a high fastball inside to take him out of the game. Laird then grounded out for the third out as they headed into extra innings.

The Giants took no time taking advantage of their chance at bat with a base hit to right field from Ryan Theriot. Brandon Crawford did his job as he laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to advance Theriot to second. Scutaro singled to center to score Theriot who took hold of the lead for the rest of the game.

Sergio Romo dominated the mound to keep the Tigers from getting even a glimmer of hope in the bottom of the 10th. After Romo closed out the game with three strikeouts in a row, the Giants celebrated as they clinched the World Series title for the seventh time in their franchise history.

What we saw in primetime at Memorial Stadium, that was it.

A special victory at a special time, led by a special player.

For Manti Te’o, this is a special year. So it should be speculation no more: He deserves the Heisman.

This is a Notre Dame team that is 8-0, the only team in the country with four wins over top-25 teams — including two road wins over top-10 teams.

This is a Notre Dame team that was expected to struggle with a first-year quarterback and the toughest schedule in college football.

This is a Notre Dame team with one of the country’s top defenses, giving up less than 10 points per game with only one rushing touchdown allowed since last November.

This is Te’o’s team.

Most Heisman candidates represent their respective teams.

Yet this Irish team represents Te’o, the best compliment a player can ask for. His incredible work ethic, his levelheadedness and his whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts mentality all shine through this team, from the veteran offensive line returning four starters to the young secondary with three players converted from offense.

This linebacker’s influence can be heard, seen and felt on the field, even when he’s not on it. The last time college football saw a player like that, Tim Tebow told the world no one would work as hard as he would for the rest of the season.

And on the biggest stage of his legendary career Saturday night, Te’o’s legend grew.

When the Notre Dame offense could not sustain a drive of more than two minutes in the first quarter, Te’o recorded eight tackles and gave the offense a chance to find itself without having to play catch up. With one of those first-quarter tackles, Te’o recorded his 400th career tackle, just another testament to one of the greatest collegiate careers in Notre Dame history.

He finished the first half with 11 tackles — two for a loss — and his first sack of the season. That massive second-quarter sack by Te’o sent the up-tempo Oklahoma offense to the sidelines with its first three-and-out, right after it seemed to drive down the field with ease in the first quarter.

And with his sprawling fourth-quarter interception, Te’o silenced any chance of a Landry Jones-led comeback and sealed the victory, putting him tied for second in the entire country with five interceptions.

He hasn’t thrown for four passing touchdowns and 300 yards. He hasn’t even scored a touchdown at all. And yet he can change the course of an entire game from the side of the ball that prevents points, not scores them.

Since the preseason, Marcus Lattimore, Matt Barkley, E.J. Manuel, Geno Smith and now Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein have all taken their turns atop the presumptive Heisman list.

Since his inspired performance at Michigan State in Week 3, Te’o has remained near the top of that list and improved his status while watching the frontrunner crash out on weekly basis.

While one loss can ruin the Heisman hopes of Klein — as it did to Barkley, Manuel and Smith — a loss for Te’o will not muffle the Heisman noise. He simply means too much to the sport.

And as we’ve seen with Robert Griffin III, Mark Ingram and Tebow, it’s not just about the stat sheet.

“He represents all of the things the Heisman trophy espouses: integrity, character, a great football player,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said postgame.

The way he inspired an island, a university and a nation through personal tragedy showed the character of a true champion. The stories of helping a young and dying cancer patient and her family showed the integrity of a true hero. The answer to the following question showed the linebacker’s heart.

“Have you been able to comprehend the number of people that you have affected in a positive manner?” I asked Te’o after the game.

His response was swift.

“No, not really,” he replied. “For me, I’m just trying to have an impact on as many people as possible. If that’s one, if that’s 10 or 20 I don’t really know. As long as I change somebody’s life, I would consider that a success for me.”

His words read of honor, humility and sacrifice, but all I read was Heisman.

Five plays later, Golson dove into the end zone to put Notre Dame ahead for good in its 30-13 signature victory in Norman, Okla., on Saturday.

For Kelly, the gutsy play-action call, drawn up for a true freshman, was a no-brainer.

“I wanted to win the game,” he said matter-of-factly after the game.

Notre Dame indeed won, and proved its validity as a national championship contender in the process.

“Our kids were confident,” Kelly said. “They came in well prepared. I told them that I was very confident in their ability to go out on the road and play very good football.

“I thought that they exhibited that confidence in the first half and in the second half the focus was on physical and mental toughness.”

Before the game-winning, seven-play, 52-yard drive, Oklahoma backup quarterback Blake Bell knotted the score with a 1-yard touchdown run — the first rushing score Notre Dame had allowed since last November.

Though miffed after surrendering the touchdown, the defense still wasn’t concerned about the game’s outcome, graduate student defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore said.

“We’re always confident in our offense,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens.”

But Golson showed a primetime audience he’s not the same quarterback that had struggled at times and been pulled in previous weeks.

“I don’t think six or seven weeks ago I could’ve done something like that,” he said. “I didn’t have the same feel for the guys then.”

Golson, who finished 13-of-25 passing for 177 yards and added 66 rushing yards, said he doesn’t let the game situation influence his play. He saw Oklahoma in man-to-man coverage, and knew it was up to him and the freshman speedster to execute.

“We saw that they were in man coverage and I think the play action set it up,” he said. “[Brown] ended up winning with a great move and I just kind of stepped up in the pocket and gave it a little bit of air and let him run under.”

After the Irish regained the lead, they sealed the victory on a deflected pass into the hands of senior linebacker Manti Te’o, his fifth interception of the season.

Officials reviewed the play and upheld the call, but Te’o didn’t need to wait for their confirmation.

“[The coaches] came up to me and said, ‘Did you catch it?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I caught it,” he said. “It bobbled around a little bit, but I had possession of it.”

Four rushes later, kicker Kyle Brindza converted a 46-yard field goal to give Notre Dame a 23-13 lead. The sophomore had missed a 35-yard attempt on the first drive of the second half after the Irish had driven 60 yards on 13 plays in a possession that lasted 6:54.

Brindza, who finished the game 3-for-4 on attempts, said the redemption was sweet.

“I tried to keep my head down,” he said. “I was going to let the crowd tell me if it was good or not. I peeked up. It was just a weight lifted off of my shoulders. It felt really good to see it go through.”

Notre Dame controlled the tempo by outrushing Oklahoma to the count of 215 yards to the Sooners’ 15. The Irish took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter when senior running back Cierre Wood burst through the middle for a 62-yard touchdown.

Moments before, on the game’s first drive, the momentum was in Oklahoma’s favor as the Sooners marched down the field for 42 yards on five plays before the drive was stalled by a snap that sailed past quarterback Landry Jones out of the shotgun formation. The Sooners recovered it, but lost 19 yards on the play and punted two plays later.

“We changed the play and there was miscommunication between myself and Landry,” Oklahoma center Gabe Ikard said. “I snapped it when I normally snap it, and nothing good came from that. That was a huge drive kill for our team.”

The game’s most controversial sequence occurred late in the second quarter with the Sooners trailing 10-3. Bell rumbled into the end zone, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty. The Sooners settled for a field goal and a 10-6 halftime deficit.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was visibly livid after the call and voiced his frustration to the referees through the remainder of the half.

“We had it in the end zone, and it’s a judgment call, they call holding,” Stoops said. “Those are frustrating situations, but that’s the way it is. We didn’t get the calls.”

With three games remaining before the season finale at USC and an undefeated season and possible berth in the national title game on the line, Kelly said the focus must shift to Pittsburgh, and only Pittsburgh.

“We’ll lose,” Kelly said bluntly about his team if it looks ahead. “If we start listening to national championship and BCS, we’ll lose a football game.

“They’re a pretty smart group and know if they start with what we’ve done and the process of preparing for Pittsburgh, they’ll be fine. That’s what I told them in the locker room — I said to enjoy a great victory against Oklahoma. Now let’s find a way to beat Pittsburgh.”

A combination of sloppy offensive play, too many turnovers and the Huskies executing right when they needed to, led to a 20-17 loss for Oregon State (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) in Seattle Saturday night.

The perfect season is now over, and by all accounts, the Beavers let that game slip right through their fingers.

“We kept shooting ourselves in the foot, that’s what it really was,” said sophomore wide receiver Brandin Cooks. “I feel like they weren’t stopping us, we were just doing little things to stop ourselves. That’s what this game was about.”

Those mistakes were the turnovers OSU committed throughout the course of the game. In particular, sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion threw four interceptions in his first game back since having knee surgery two weeks ago.

“That’s no excuse,” Mannion said when asked if he was too rusty after missing two games.

The high volume of interceptions — Mannion now has seven in the last two games after only throwing one in the first three — could be a product of Mannion trying to force passes.

“Obviously I want to make good plays, but I think I’ve also got to know when to live with a throw-away or we can even just punt and change field position,” Mannion said.

With just over eight minutes remaining in the game, Head Coach Mike Riley opted to pull Mannion in favor of Cody Vaz — who started the last two games with Mannion sidelined.

“I thought Sean had struggled a little bit in there, and I thought it would be a great time to let Cody play,” Riley said. “We know he can play. He went in and did what he can do and made some plays, and that was good for us — almost gave us a chance to win.”

Yanking the quarterback in the fourth quarter of a close game could set up for an interesting week of practice. Riley confidently placed Mannion back in the lineup last week.

“I support Cody and our team 100 percent, no matter the circumstance,” Mannion said. “I know that’s their call to make. Would I have liked to play? Obviously. But at the same time, I know it’s about the team and it’s not about me.”

The issue of who starts this week will likely be addressed at Monday’s practice, but Vaz — who went 7-for-11 for 97 yards and the game-tying touchdown — has definitely made a case for himself.

“We won’t have any talk about that tonight,” Riley said, in response to questions about who will start.

Even though OSU gained 134 more yards of offense, the Huskies (4-4, 2-3) only had one turnover compared to Oregon State’s four, making all of the difference. Aside from not creating a lot of turnovers, the Beavers’ defense played well for the fourth straight game.

“We played our hearts out,” said sophomore defensive end Scott Crichton. “But unfortunately, everything went their way. It was a good win for them.”

An area OSU has played phenomenally this season has been its run defense. The Beavers ranked fifth in the nation going into Saturday’s game. They still kept the Huskies to 99 yards rushing, but some key runs by Washington running back Bishop Sankey proved to be costly for OSU. Crichton responds to how successful Washington was running the ball.

“Yeah, I was a little surprised,” Crichton said. “I knew they were good running the ball, but I just had a lot of confidence in our defense.”

Execution on Washington’s end in crucial moments was what had the Huskies on the winning end of a game decided by a field goal.

Washington’s offense got the ball in a tie game with 4:58 remaining and methodically drove down the field all the way to OSU’s 12-yard line to put in the game-winning field goal with a minute and a half left.

“They ran some perfect routes to counter our coverages,” said senior cornerback Jordan Poyer. “Just little mistakes here and there that we made that were big.”

All in all, the game ended, Washington fans rushed the field, and the Beavers’ hopes for a perfect season fell to the ground like Vaz’s incomplete pass to Kevin Cummings on 4th-and-19 at the end of the game.

“They just outplayed us, out-physicalled us and we’re going to look at the tape tomorrow and learn from it,” Poyer said.

“We’ve just got to forget about it,” Crichton added.

Washington was one of only three wins for the Beavers last year, but this year the Huskies ended up playing spoiler to OSU’s undefeated season.

“Very disappointing, very hard,” Riley said. “The key deal now is our reaction to it and where we go from here.”

No. 4 Oregon bruised, battered and broke Colorado 70-14 Saturday at Autzen Stadium, running over one of the country’s most generous defenses to the tune of 617 total yards and 30 first downs. The wire-to-wire win turned out to be the glorified scrimmage many had predicted, but few could have imagined Oregon would break its program record for points in a conference game.

Ten touchdowns; 435 rushing yards; a defense that held Colorado to 2-for-13 on third down; a special-teams score.

Dominant.

“Our confidence is based on our preparation,” head coach Chip Kelly said after the game. “I thought we were really focused today.”

With much talk swirling around the looming No. 9 USC Trojans, that focus was clear early. The Ducks had two touchdowns on the board before Colorado even registered an offensive snap. When Colorado finally ended the shutout after running back Christian Powell scored his first of two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, Oregon was halfway to the century mark with 56 points.

On paper, the score almost seems inhumane. But Kelly had many of his starters out of the game before the first half ended. Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota logged an effective 136 yards and two touchdowns passing on 10-for-14 before ceding the job to backup Bryan Bennett, who tallied three rushing touchdowns before handing QB duties to walk-on Dustin Haines …

And so it went.

With the Ducks’ coaching staff digging deep into the roster, it was a unique opportunity for players like Haines and running backs Kenny Bassett and Bill Chimphalee to get significant playing time in a nonconference game. For their part, Mariota and running back Kenjon Barner enjoyed the chance to play coach and fan for the second and third units.

“For myself I just like to think of all my decisions during the time that I played,” Mariota said. “But you also gotta coach up the other guys. They work just as hard as we do, and to see them go out there and be able to play and be able to show what they can do, it’s fun for me.”

Turning point. It may be fair to say this game was over at kickoff, but the first nail in the coffin came before Colorado’s offense took the field. After Barner’s first touchdown capped Oregon’s opening drive, Donta Abron muffed the ensuing kickoff. Backup-turned-standout Avery Patterson scooped the ball up for the Ducks, and Oregon wasted no time capitalizing. De’Anthony Thomas ran it in from nine yards out less than a minute later.

On the horizon. It’s finally here. USC-Oregon. Nov. 3.

The Trojans got the last laugh against the Ducks last year, when Alejandro Maldonado’s kick sailed wide of the uprights to the give USC the upset win. But a preview of Kelly-Barkley III barely resembles that matchup.

“Last year’s last year,” Barner said. “We’re a completely different team with different players. It’s a new year.”

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

The inaccurate toss of Penn State’s quarterback at the beginning of the third quarter was one of several miscues that doomed the Nittany Lions in their 35-23 loss to the Buckeyes. Between mental errors and an inability to contain quarterback Braxton Miller, the Lions, now 5-3 on the season, spiraled into a deep deficit in the beginning of the second half.

After the interception, which occurred just 1:19 into the third quarter, Miller shredded the Lions’ defense with 49 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The dual-threat quarterback finished with 134 rushing yards and 143 yards in the air.

Linebacker Michael Mauti said the defense struggled to contain the sophomore quarterback, but his elusiveness made doing so much easier said than done.

“He’s as good as we’ve played,” Mauti said. “He made some plays out there, absolutely. There were just a couple times when we could bottled him up a little bit better. That was on us. [But] you have to give credit where credit is due.”

Glenn Carson added that besides missed tackles, handling Miller was also a struggle because players failed to stick to their assignments defensively.

“I think that we did a pretty good job but it was just a couple people not being where they were supposed to be,” Carson said. “A couple of broken plays here in there were really what killed us.”

The third quarter, during which the Lions were outscored 21-3, began with McGloin’s crucial pick.

McGloin said he didn’t expect the linebacker to remain in the middle of the field, as the interception was a result of Ohio State switching up its defensive strategy.

“Normally, I do take a look there,” McGloin said. “But, for the most part, throughout the course of the game, they were pealing with the running back running his route. [Shazier] made a great play. I don’t know if he knew the play was coming or he just my eyes or what.”

In addition to this miscue, the Lions’ secondary had several near interceptions and the team was also plagued by nine penalties for a total of 85 yards.

Most notable of these penalties was a holding call on an Ohio State punt with under five minutes to play in the second quarter. After a third-down sack of Miller, the penalty extended the Buckeyes’ drive, which resulted in a Carlos Hyde rushing touchdown.

Mauti said mental errors ailed Penn State throughout the game, but it’s the defense’s job to get a stop after such a penalty.

“[Mental errors are] the things that we try to eliminate,” Mauti said. “So, it’s one of those things where we have to bounce back and we have to get a stop. No matter what the case may be, when the defense is called on, we have to do our job.”

Offensively, McGloin recovered from the interception to have a productive game overall, throwing for a career-high 324 yards, adding two touchdowns.

However, the Lions ran for just 32 rushing yards, a factor McGloin said definitely affected the outcome of the game.

“We can only be successful throwing the ball if we can run the ball,” McGloin said. “And we definitely struggled to run the ball tonight. But you’re going to have those days and I need to step up and I need to make my plays when that’s happening.”

The Gators had struck a perilous balance in 2012. UF rode big plays, good defense and a one-dimensional offense to the No. 2 ranking in the BCS standings and the brink of a Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title.

However, six turnovers, a stagnant offense and yet another slow start were too much for Florida (7-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) to overcome in a 17-9 loss to Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC) on Saturday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.

“I’ve said all season long we’re not a team that has a lot of margin for error,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “Six turnovers — wow. That’s tough to overcome.”

Now, instead of pressing onward in the national championship race, the Gators will need a little help just to play for the SEC title. Florida must defeat Missouri and then hope Georgia slips up against either Ole Miss or Auburn.

In just one week’s time, UF slipped from the driver’s seat to the back seat. From “Florida never breaks” to “Hotty Toddy” and “War Eagle.”

“It just comes down to the basics, we’ve got to work on it in practice,” quarterback Jeff Driskel said. “Football is about taking care of the ball, and we didn’t do that tonight. When you have six turnovers, it’s hard to win any game.”

The football was not the only thing Florida lost a grip on during Saturday’s game. Tempers flared between the Gators and the Bulldogs early and often.

A pregame scuffle between the teams became so heated, even Florida strength coach Jeff Dillman got involved, yelling at Georgia players and coaches.

Overall, UF racked up 10 penalties for 95 yards. The Gators and the Bulldogs were flagged four times for unsportsmanlike conduct and five times for personal fouls.

“There was a lot of penalties,” Jon Bostic said. “Some of them we couldn’t control. Some of them we definitely could control. We got to play better in those areas.”

Despite numerous mistakes and a slow start, Florida still had several chances to escape with a victory. How the Gators failed to seize opportunistic moments proved critical and heartbreaking.

Facing second and 6 from Georgia’s 18-yard line, Driskel hit tight end Jordan Reed over the middle for a 13-yard gain with more than two minutes remaining in regulation.

As the play neared completion, Reed jumped from the 5 and attempted to break the plane of the goal line for a touchdown.

While airborne, Reed took a hit from Jarvis Jones and fumbled, losing a grip both on the ball and Florida’s control of the SEC East race. The Gators could not recover.

“It wasn’t one play that lost the game for us,” Jon Halapio said. “It was a team effort. There was no plays here or there that could have definitely taken us out of the situation that we were in during the fourth quarter.”

The OU running game was a question mark the Sooners needed to answer entering the matchup against No. 5 Notre Dame that brought the nation’s sixth-best defense to the Saturday’s gunfight in Norman.

But the Fighting Irish defense answered with an exclamation point, giving up a measly 15 total rushing yards in the 30-13 win against the Sooners, forcing the OU offense to stick to its aerial attack.

“That’s always tough when you‘re not able to run it and you have to throw it more than you want,” coach Bob Stoops said. “We needed to run the football better than what we did.”

But the Sooners just couldn’t find the answers the team needed to thwart Notre Dame’s front seven.

When halftime rolled around, the Sooners only had three yards of rushing after settling for negative yardage throughout much of the first half.

The team said earlier in the week that this game’s tale of the tape would be the offensive line’s ability to win the battle up front like it had in the past three games to allow breathing room for senior quarterback Landry Jones while simultaneously opening up holes for running game.

However, the Sooners admitted they hadn’t experienced a line like the size Notre Dame brought to the table in any of their regular conference action this season.

“These guys are just bigger and stronger than the previous guys we played,” junior center Gabe Ikard said. “Those 300-pound guys were able to control the line of scrimmage, and we didn’t play with good enough technique or good enough room for (junior running back) Damien (Williams) to run through.”

Williams finished the game as the Sooners’ leading rusher with 29 net rushing yards, including a team-long of seven yards. But his numbers didn’t show up in the final stats due to the -35 rushing yardage lost by the team in the game.

“It’s disappointing that we couldn’t block enough for the run game,” Ikard said.

Although the defense never fully broke for the Sooner running backs, it did bend a couple of times during Saturday’s game.

The Fighting Irish hadn’t allowed a rushing touchdown in the previous seven outings this season — until sophomore quarterback Blake Bell succeeded during the Belldozer goal-line formation.

But even the Belldozer package wasn’t without flaws during the loss.

Bell’s first rushing touchdown in the second quarter was called back due to a holding call on junior guard Bronson Irwin. It wasn’t until Bell came in on a second-and-six play — in the fourth quarter — that would eventually set up the backup quarterback for the Sooners’ first touchdown of the game.

“Bronson just gets called on that play for the first time in 500 plays,” Bell said about the first touchdown being called back. “But when they put me in later, [the coaches] must have saw something in the defense, and I just tried to do the best I can to get that first down.”

Bell rushed twice on the play and eventually got the first down on an eight-yard pass to junior fullback Trey Millard, who took the ball to the Notre Dame 1-yard line.

Then Bell punched the ball in for a score that would finally stand.

“It was exciting just to tie the ballgame up at that point, and it shifted momentum our way then,” Bell said. “But at the end of the day, we really just have to finish.”

Most quarterbacks aren’t Braxton Miller.

The Ohio State sophomore signal-caller torched Penn State’s defense with option reads and accounted for three second-half touchdowns as the Buckeyes pulled away from Penn State in the final 30 minutes. All told, Miller had 277 total yards (134 rushing, 143 passing) to go along with his three scores.

“He can go anywhere,” linebacker Mike Hull said. “He can take it right up the gut, he can bounce it outside. He’s just a good player.”

Miller’s health was a concern entering the contest. Last week against Purdue, Miller was taken to the hospital after his head hit the ground harshly when he was taken down awkwardly.

The injury didn’t seem to affect Miller, but the Nittany Lions were able to hold him in check in the first half. Miller looked out of sync with his receivers and was kept out of the endzone before halftime.

The second half was a different story.

Miller’s signature play of the game was on his first touchdown. On an option read, Miller fooled most of the stadium by pulling back a handoff to running back Carlos Hyde.

Fans cheered and music even started to play as it looked Penn State kept the Buckeyes out of the endzone. But in fact it was Miller who still had the rock and he danced his way around defenders to give Ohio State a double-digit lead.

“That was crazy,” Ohio State wideout Jake Stoneburner said of the play. “I’ve never seen a quarterback be able to do something like that, let alone most athletes. The sideline was just in just in awe, like everyone was covering their mouth, eyes wide open, I’ve never seen a play like that from a quarterback.”

Miller was only 7-of-19 passing, and he started off the second half with an interception. And though he did not have much success through the air, but he didn’t need to with what he was able to accomplish with his feet.

However, he did deliver the nail in the coffin with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Stoneburner to put Ohio State ahead by 19 points with about six minutes remaining.

Penn State did have recent success against other dual-threat quarterbacks in games against Illinois and Northwestern, but Miller got the best of the team’s defense. After the contest, coach Bill O’Brien called him one of the top five players in the country.

“We stopped him at times and other times we obviously didn’t,” O’Brien said. “So we have to go back and watch the tape and see again what we can do better to stop a player like that.”

It was another slow start for K-State as they fell to a 10-3 deficit early in the first half, but went on to out score the Red Raiders 42 to 14 in the second half to solidify the big win. K-State is the only team in the Big 12 with a perfect record.

“I think it was not so much in term of adjustments, because we were playing well defensively. Offensively we didn’t quite have it figured out,” said head coach Bill Snyder about the slow start. “It wasn’t adjustments it was just being able to get into the right things, which we didn’t initially.”

Once again leading the way for the Wildcats was senior quarterback Collin Klein, who continued to show the country why he is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Klein once again proved why he is arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Racking up over 300 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns, Klein scorched the Red Raiders defense with both his arm and feet.

On the defensive side of the ball, both teams were challenged. Although they allowed TCU to score 53 in a triple-overtime win last weekend, this was the first time all season that the Red Raiders have allowed a team to score over 50 points in four quarters of play. This was also the first time that K-State has allowed a team to score over 20 points.

A big factor was turnover margin in this game. Texas Tech had three turnovers compared to K-State’s zero. A big turnover came late in the game when senior linebacker Arthur Brown intercepted Texas Tech’s senior quarterback Seth Doege and took it back for K-State’s first pick-six of the year. This was Brown’s second consecutive game with an interception.

K-State will be back in action next weekend at Bill Snyder Family Stadium against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys were one of only two teams to beat the Wildcats in the regular season last year.

It was never pretty, and Scott couldn’t even finish the game after suffering a potential concussion, but the Wildcats pulled out their first victory against the Trojans since 2009.

“I’m just really proud of our guys,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “They hung in there and played well.

“Our guys have a lot of resiliency. It’s good to win a close one.”

Arizona received a scare from Scott, who finished with 369 passing yards, four total touchdowns and 100 rushing yards, in the fourth quarter. With less than seven minutes remaining, and the UA with a slim four-point lead, Scott ran the ball for eight yards and into USC’s red zone.

He was at the receiving end of a helmet-to-helmet hit on the play, and a few seconds later walked over to the 30-yard line and began puking. After two Arizona timeouts, Rodriguez didn’t pull Scott from the game. Instead, Scott hit receiver David Richards for a go-ahead 9-yard touchdown pass.

“Matt Scott is a stud. He’s phenomeneal, he’s a competitor,” Rodriguez said. “We [didn’t] know if he’s all there, but he looked pretty good on that throw. Holy cow, he made a heck of a throw. He might’ve been a little foggy at the time but from my vantage point whatever he had for breakfast is no longer in him.”

On the next USC drive, the Arizona defense was unable to make a stop. After a 72-yard kick return from receiver Marqise Lee, the Trojans eased their way into the end zone, finishing on a 10-yard touchdown run from running back Silas Redd, bringing the score to 39-36 in Arizona’s favor.

Scott was pulled from the next drive, replaced by backup B.J. Denker, and Arizona unsurprisingly ran the ball every one of seven plays on that drive. After punting the ball to USC, Barkley took control with 55 seconds remaining.

The Trojans brought the ball all the way to the Arizona 48-yard line, but a last second Hail Mary proved unsuccessful.

Scott’s performance, coupled with Austin Hill’s 259 receiving yards and five USC turnovers, helped overcome a stellar offensive performance from both Barkley and Lee, who set a Pac-12 record with 345 yards on 16 catches, plus two touchdowns.

Barkley completed 31-of-49 passes for 493 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions — both of which came at the hands of linebacker Marquis Flowers.

“They had one very good weapon,” linebacker Jake Fischer said of Lee. “That’s probably the best performance I’ve seen in my life.”

It didn’t quite turn out that way, as the Crimson Tide rolled to a convincing 38-7 win at home, proving once again it deserves its moniker as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Alabama scored on its first three drives of the game, rolling to an early 21-0 lead shortly into the second quarter. The Tide offense continued its balanced offensive attack, as running back T.J. Yeldon gashed the Bulldogs defense for huge chunks of yards, running for 84 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, quarterback AJ McCarron began to heat up the Heisman talks with another efficient showing, passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Tide appeared as impassable as ever. The Tide defense held the Bulldogs scoreless until their final drive from among the second string. Alabama didn’t turn in many sacks on the night, but kept constant pressure on quarterback Tyler Russell, harassing, chasing and, more often than not, pounding him into the ground.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban praised his team’s attitude, and also noted how Alabama’s quick start provided a momentum boost for his team.

“You prepare yourself to fight a 15-round fight, and knowing that, you’re going to have to take the fight to them in the early rounds,” Saban said of his team’s fast start. “You can’t win
the fight in the first round, but you can certainly lose it.”

Despite the Tide’s mostly-dominant play, the Tide’s performance was far from perfect.

MSU quarterback Tyler Russell picked apart the Alabama secondary at times during the game, effectively moving the ball at will down the field.

On the other side of the ball, the offense didn’t manage another score until less than a minute to halftime, and was held scoreless in the third quarter.

“We’re going to have to continue to improve and learn from our experiences today, in terms of the good things that we did,” Saban said, “and also correct some of the things that we
didn’t do very well.”

Indeed, Alabama had to rely on numerous big plays to maintain its momentum in the game. On the Tide’s first drive, Alabama had to convert a fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive.
It ended with Alabama’s first touchdown of the night.

On the ensuing MSU drive, Russell managed to move his offense all the way down to the 14 yard line, using wide open receivers to get them in that position. Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner blocked the attempted field goal, allowing the Tide to keep its early shutout.

Later in the game, Alabama safety Robert Lester picked off a third-and-goal pass in the end zone after the Bulldogs marched from their own two.

For Saban, these plays effectively allowed Alabama to keep its momentum and directly affected the outcome of the game. For Lester, however, the play was nothing more than him
playing sound football.

“It all goes to execution,” Lester said. “We all want to execute from the beginning of the game, to the end of the game. And I think we did a great job of doing that.”

Though setting a Pac-12 and program record for career touchdown passes in USC’s last matchup, a 44-point home win over Colorado, the senior quarterback faces a rather stiff challenge in the hope of becoming the eighth Trojan to win college football’s most prestigious and coveted individual award.

Two months ago, Barkley was pitted as the clear frontrunner for the Heisman, as USC stood atop the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll, and was expected to finish the season playing in the BCS national championship game.

But Barkley’s candidacy suffered a rather crushing blow by mid-September following a 21-14 loss at Stanford, the Trojans’ fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of the Cardinal and lone blemish this season.

And so his stock dropped, rather considerably.

“It was especially the style in which they lost,” said Chris Huston, a Heisman Trophy analyst for CBSSports.com and founder of Heismanpundit.com. “It wasn’t like a shootout where he was doing everything he could to keep his team in the game. It was a situation in which this mighty USC offense, with all this talent, was flummoxed.”

Against the Cardinal, Barkley finished 20 of 41 passing, throwing for 254 yards and two interceptions, two plays USC coach Lane Kiffin called afterward “probably two of his worst decisions” at any point during the last three years.

In the wake of the unexpected early season stumble in Palo Alto, USC has won four consecutive games, moving back into the top-10 of the polls, and so Barkley, who should own essentially every meaningful school passing record by the end of the season, is far from out of the running — at least according to the Trojans’ third-year coach.

Kiffin suggested during his post-practice news conference Tuesday that Barkley could play his way back into the race provided he performs in a similar fashion as he did against the Buffaloes last Saturday.

“Like I’ve said all along, the Heisman is a full body of work for the whole year,” Kiffin said. “Everyone wants to figure it out way early. There’s been a lot of Heisman runs, including here, late in the year.”

The senior signal caller was near-perfect versus Colorado, completing 19 of 20 passes for 298 yards and six touchdowns, equaling the school single-game touchdown mark for the fourth time in his career.

“We’ll wait and see,” added Kiffin. “Obviously, if he keeps playing the way he did, I think everybody will be happy.”

Through seven games, Barkley has posted similar numbers at this point one season ago, when he would eventually finish sixth in the voting, along with 11 first-place votes, narrowly missing out on a trip to New York City as one of five finalists.

This season, he’s thrown for 1,773 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, compared to the 2,006 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions by this mark in 2011.

Asked Tuesday if he had thought about the race much recently, Barkley offered a simple response: “Nah, it’s not my job.”

But as Kiffin referenced, USC has had quarterbacks make a late push for the award, perhaps most evidenced by Carson Palmer during his Heisman-winning season in 2002. In Palmer’s final two games against rivals UCLA and Notre Dame, he threw for a total of  679 yards and eight touchdowns, catapulting him past Iowa’s Brad Banks.

And so Barkley, who at the moment sits behind favorites Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith in most Heisman rankings, could face a similar opportunity for late resume-boosting performances. Both No. 4 Oregon and the No. 5 Fighting Irish come to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum next month for primetime, nationally televised showdowns, as well as a potential Pac-12 championship game on Nov. 30, an opportunity the Trojans didn’t have last season because of a postseason ban.

For the time being, USC has kept Barkley out in the weeks following the loss to Stanford. Entering the season, the school launched a mobile app titled “PROJECT TRO7AN,” playing off Barkley’s No. 7 jersey number, and has continued producing the online video series “Barkley Breakdown” and “Matt Versus.” Neither is technically Heisman promotional material, but instead ways to look at the team “through Matt’s eyes,” according to USC Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone.

Still, how Barkley finishes will likely speak the loudest, especially when it comes to wooing voters.

“You always have to just strike when the iron’s hot,” Tessalone said, “and it’s not hot quite yet.”

So, with at least five games remaining on the slate, the toughest tests await the Pac-12’s newest career leader in touchdown passes. In short, his team will have to win and he’ll have to play particularly well to boot.

As Huston explained, “Voters are waiting to see if USC is actually going to win anything with Matt Barkley, to give those numbers context and meaning. They’re impressed by the numbers but they want to see that these numbers led to X, Y and Z. If ‘SC wins out and does so in convincing fashion, those numbers start to look a lot better.”

Golson passed a cardio test Monday and Irish coach Brian Kelly named him the starter for the game against the Sooners (5-1).

“We wanted to do that more because he hadn’t had really the opportunity to get out there and run, and we didn’t want to wait until Saturday where he’s out there and we have some setbacks,” Kelly said. “He’s good and 100 percent, and he’ll start for us against Oklahoma on Saturday.”

The sophomore signal caller missed Notre Dame’s 17-14 win over BYU with a concussion sustained during the Stanford game a week earlier. He was cleared to practice last Wednesday but Kelly elected to start junior Tommy Rees against BYU instead. Golson did not play.

Golson has thrown for 968 passing yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and two scores.

The Sooners also employ a two-quarterback system, but in a much different way than the Irish (7-0) do.

Senior Landry Jones is Oklahoma’s clear-cut starter while sophomore Blake Bell adds a running dimension to the position. The Sooners have installed special “Belldozer” goal-line packages for Bell, who has eight rushing touchdowns on the season.

“If it’s first and goal from the five, we’re going to have a hard time keeping them out of the end zone,” Kelly said. “If he’s on the field, we’re going to have to do something really extraordinary, because he’s a tough guy to stop.”

Oklahoma’s offense has started to click following a 24-19 loss to then-No. 15 Kansas State, averaging 52 points in its last three games, including a 63-point outburst in a win over Texas.

“I think there’s a confidence level,” Kelly said. “You can see it in the receivers, the quarterback, and Landry has been very effective and efficient with the football. [They] made big plays. They’re balancing their running game in there. Certainly their offense has evolved since the first week against UTEP to where they are today.”

Jones, who will be making his 44th career start, has passed for 1,644 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions. He has not been held to fewer than 222 passing yards in a game this season.

“He’s gotten into a good rhythm,” Kelly said. “He hasn’t been disrupted very much. And I think, like most good quarterbacks, if you can get into a good rhythm and you’re not disrupted, you’re going to be pretty effective. You can see that’s been the case.”

Miami was the only team to pass for more than 200 yards against the Irish when they tossed for 201 yards Oct. 6.

The Sooners have been able to stretch the field against their opponents, racking up eight pass plays of 30 or more yards.

“We’re quite aware of their ability to get vertical,” Kelly said. “And we take great pride in our ability to minimize those big plays. We’re going to have to do that again on Saturday if we expect to win. If they can throw the ball over our head, it puts us in a very difficult situation defensively.”

Saturday’s game marks the first time since the Irish played USC in 2006 that top-10 Notre Dame will face a fellow top-10 opponent.

“This is why you coach at Notre Dame,” Kelly said. “This is why you coach at those programs that get the opportunity to play in marquee games. There’s an excitement but there’s also a realization that that excitement only gets you so far. You’ve got to prepare well. You’ve got to be detailed and organized. And so in times like these, we get that. That’s why we want to be here at Notre Dame.”

Oklahoma has been dominant at home since Sooners coach Bob Stoops took over in 1999. The Sooners are 79-4 at home during that span, including 14-1 in Norman against ranked opponents.

“That’s where we want to be,” Kelly said. “I mean, we want that consistency. Year in and year out you know Oklahoma is going to be part of the conversation. And that’s where we want to get our football program. We’re nowhere near that yet. We think we’re moving in the right direction. We’re trending the right way.”

Seeing play at and above the rim is very rare in women’s basketball and most players (save Baylor senior Brittney Griner and UConn freshman Breanna Stewart) are unable to dunk the ball.

Auriemma thinks that to make the game more appealing to fans, lowering the rim to let more players show their athletic ability would be a beneficial move.

“What makes fans not want to watch women’s basketball is that some of the players can’t shoot and they miss layups and that forces the game to slow down,” Auriemma said. “How to help improve that? Lower the rim [from 10 feet]. Do you think the average fan knows that the net is lower in women’s volleyball than men’s volleyball? It’s about seven inches shorter so the women have the chance for the same kind of success at the net [as the men].”

According to the Hartford Courant, Auriemma argues that the lack of play around the rim has stalled the growth of women’s basketball.

“In 2002, we played the Final Four in front of 30,000 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,” Auriemma said. “Now, 10 years later, we can’t sell out the Conseco Field House [in Indianapolis for the 2011 Final Four]? So how much has the game possibly improved, in terms of how badly people want to see it?”

Auriemma also criticized the size of the ball and said that if the hoops are not lowered then the women’s ball should be scrapped and they should play with a men’s ball.

“They either need to change the ball or change the rims,” Auriemma said. “The bigger ball sits on the rim longer [for layups]. But no one wants to hear that.”

If this column had been written in 1990, Notre Dame also would have been on the list, most likely at the very top.

However, this is not 1990, and Notre Dame no longer deserves to consider itself a blue blood, a powerhouse or a national title contender.

Notre Dame’s last 20 years have been marked by the first 0-3 start in school history, a minor recruiting scandal, possibly the worst recruiting class in school history and a year with a school-record nine losses.

Football analysts have been quick to jump on the bandwagon of this year’s fifth-ranked Fighting Irish because of their 7-0 start. This record is a misleading one, however, as Notre Dame has struggled to dominate opponents in any facet of the game, save defense.

The Irish have a pedestrian offense at best. They rank a decidedly-mediocre 77th in points per game with 25.9. They are also a laughable 100th in passing yards per game, with 194 passing yards per game.

Not only do they not dominate stat-wise, but the Irish lso have had a hard time dominating in games.

Their best win of the season thus far was over 17th-ranked Stanford, a two-loss team that is vastly overrated because of its upset win against USC. This win came in overtime at Notre Dame’s home stadium; hardly a statement win.

Notre Dame’s second-best victory is a toss-up between a 20-3 win over Michigan State and a 13-6 win over Michigan. As the scorelines suggest, neither of these wins were particularly awe-inspiring, especially because Michigan is ranked 22nd and Michigan State is unranked.

Two of the Irish’s other victories are also wholly underwhelming. A 17-14 win over 4-4 BYU and a 20-17 win over 3-4 Purdue are certainly nothing to write home about.

With those five games accounted for, the only times Notre Dame has looked even remotely like a Top-5 team has been in routs of Miami and Navy, who are both having mediocre years.

All-in-all, Notre Dame just barely has squeaked by against some pretty bad competition. This is a team that is three or four different plays away from being 4-3 instead of 7-0, not a team that deserves to be in consideration for a national title.

Oklahoma should have no problem demolishing Notre Dame this weekend. The Sooners have proven they can play with any team in the nation, and the Fighting Irish have proven they can play with any 4-4 team in the nation. This is a matchup that will prove to everyone Notre Dame is vastly overrated.

The top-5 will look much more respectable without the farce that is Notre Dame occupying one of its spots.

While I stopped wearing it long ago, Lance Armstrong always remained a hero of mine for his ability to bounce back from testicular cancer to not only race professionally, but also to be as incredibly successful at it as he was.

It’s funny how quickly feelings can change.

In the midst of recent allegations and the verdict that followed, Armstrong can no longer boast the squeaky-clean image that once made him so popular with his fans. In fact, he is quickly being forgotten altogether.

After taking a big, pink eraser and removing all of Armstrong’s most important accomplishments in the racing world — including seven Tour de France championships between 1999 and 2005 — the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped the former world cycling champion of not only his titles, but also his reputation.

When this response is compared to other sports’ handling of performance-enhancing drugs, it represents one of the stronger stances taken on performance-enhancing drugs in sports, which can only have beneficial repercussions across the sport most affected by rampant drug use.

Just look at the scandal that is Major League Baseball. After Barry Bonds was convicted on an evasive answer to a 2003 jury concerning whether or not he was ever given anything requiring an injection, many called for his stats — including his career home run record of 762 home runs — to be thrown out.

Unlike the International Cycling Union, Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB did not do anything about Barry Bonds. As a result, the Bonds saga dragged on for weeks with nothing being resolved. In the end the case didn’t give anyone — fans, coaches or players — any closure on the situation or where steroids-stained records stand in MLB’s record books.

The International Cycling Union’s ruling handled its crisis much better. By erasing any evidence of Armstrong in cycling’s record books quickly after the story broke, UCI has avoided most of the backlash that MLB received for its non-decision on Bonds. By closing the case quickly, the sport of cycling has set the precedent that they would like to move on and let the tainted past be completely forgotten.

But this doesn’t mean people haven’t disagreed with UCI’s decision. They have.

Some have even gone as far as arguing that, since many other cyclists have admitted to steroid use, Armstrong’s records should still stand. Regardless of whether or not these claims about other cyclists are true, to have maintained Armstrong’s records based on this reasoning would be to accept cheating as an acceptable part of competition. As my mother used to tell me growing up, “Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” The same can be said for the doping. The popularity in sports for the use of performance-enhancing drugs does not mean it should become the very reason for their use.

As I touched on earlier, Armstrong reached his peak in the cycling world while many college-age students, including myself, were still in our early formative years. The bulk of his success took place while we were just young elementary and middle school kids, a time when many young sports fans are just picking out the athletes they will look up to for years to come.

So for us, Armstrong’s fall from grace is more than just another famous athlete being outed for his bad decisions — it means the loss of a hero.

Some might say Tiger Woods’ fall was just as hard on the young fans who grew up cheering for him. But there is one major difference between the two.

While Woods might have been known as one of the stronger moral characters in the sports world, none of it was from attention that he brought on himself.

Armstrong was different; he was marketed as a beacon of hope through his Livestrong campaign in the dark world that has been sports in the age of performance-enhancing drugs. An example of a hard-working athlete whose work ethic and drive helped him achieve seemingly impossible tasks. Now I guess we know they were impossible.

His Livestrong Foundation, while still a noble cause to help those battling cancer, suddenly has lost the touching story that made it famous in the first place.

Without Lance Armstrong’s resurrection from being diagnosed with cancer to winning the Tour de France, his entire story is tainted, something that he hasn’t helped by his remarks since the verdict.

“I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours,” Armstrong said in August after the USADA released the initial report.

While a slice of humble pie might have gone a long way to salvage whatever reputation he had left, any chance of restoring his name to its former glory has been dashed.

Armstrong may have lost his career and reputation, but his actions have cost millions of fans their childhood idol.

The No. 10 Trojans either rely too heavily on their passing game, or coach Lane Kiffin is too conservative by calling for running plays in situations that scream for a throw, the critics insist.

But they were largely silenced Saturday. Senior quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 298 yards and six touchdowns to set a school and Pac-12 record for career touchdown passes, as USC (6-1, 4-1) ran past an overwhelmed Colorado team, 50-6.

With the victory, the Trojans, following a two-year postseason ban, are also bowl eligible for the first time since the 2009 season.

“The sky wasn’t falling,” said Kiffin during his post-game news conference. “Matt can still throw. He’s pretty good.”

That much was evident. Barkley’s career total for touchdown passes now stands at 102, moving past former USC signal caller and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, who had thrown for 99 during three seasons from 2003-06. Finishing 19 of 20, Barkley’s 95 percent completion rate also broke the conference record, previously held by former UCLA quarterback Rick Neuheisel.

“It’s special, it’s an honor,” Barkley said. “I’ll take credit, but I mean, I’ve been here for four years so hopefully we put some production up.”

Of his six touchdown tosses, four of them safely landed in the hands of junior wide receiver Robert Woods on plays of 39, 29, 17 and three yards over a span of just 2 1/2 quarters. Barkley’s 17-yard touchdown toss also marked a significant milestone for Woods, his 217th career catch, breaking the school’s all-time receptions record previously held by Dwayne Jarrett.

The third-year wideout finished with eight catches for 132 yards against the Buffaloes (1-6, 1-3).

“I grew up watching all those receivers ever since I understood USC football,” said Woods, whose four touchdown receptions also marked a single-game school record. “As I accomplished what I did today, I don’t see myself above them, I just see myself being a part of them as an elite group. I just want to follow in their footsteps, to be a great receiver at USC.”

USC, as a group, looked elite as well. And the squad looked fast, perhaps as the result of its use of a no-huddle, quicker-paced offense for much of the contest.

Barkley’s first touchdown, a 55-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee, went over the middle of the field on the team’s second play from scrimmage just 50 seconds into the game. And by the nine-minute mark of the first quarter, the Trojans already led 19-0, energizing an announced sellout crowd of 83,274 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

On the afternoon, the Trojans would finish with 458 yards of total offense, with 340 of them through the air, carving up an inexperienced and rattled secondary. The 50 points were also the highest single-game scoring total of the season.

“I don’t care what pace we actually play at,” said Lee, who finished with six catches for 103 yards and one touchdown, “as long as we do what we need to do when it’s time to do it.”

But as prolific as USC was offensively, it was again plagued by penalties. Entering the game, the team ranked 124th — dead last, in the Football Bowl Subdivision — in penalties per game with 10. On Saturday, the Trojans were penalized nine times for 90 yards, allowing the Buffaloes to keep some of their drives alive.

During the first quarter, on Colorado’s first drive of the game, redshirt freshman Anthony Sarao was called for a personal foul penalty, helping the Buffaloes inch further downfield all the way to the 21-yard line before an ill-advised throw by quarterback Jordan Webb was intercepted by senior safety Drew McAllister in the end zone. On the day, USC forced six turnovers, including two other interceptions and three recovered fumbles.

Later in the half, freshman defensive tackle Leonard Williams was penalized and subsequently ejected for punching a Colorado offensive player — classified as a flagrant foul that will be subject to review by conference officials, according to a school spokesman. It was not, though, deemed  “fighting,” which would warrant an automatic suspension.

Though replays failed to establish what prompted Williams’ punch, teammates said Williams claimed he was spat on.  The penalties and Williams’ outburst prompted Kiffin to lecture his team on discipline before the Trojans retreated to the locker room for halftime.

“We looked really undisciplined,” Kiffin said. “I felt bad for our fans, I felt bad for our former players. It was taking away from a really special day.”

Next weekend, USC travels to Tucson to square off against Arizona. With three of its five remaining games to be played at the Coliseum, it will be the last time the Trojans leave Southern California during the regular season.

“We play one week at a time,” Kiffin said. “We go out of L.A. for the last time this year. We have to get back to work.”

Despite the fact that LSU left Kyle Field boasting another victory, the Aggies showed they owned the means to defeat the Tigers, a fact not missed by senior wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu.

“I think we’re very close,” Nwachukwu said. “We have a great defense and offensively, the sky is the limit for us. We just have to focus down on the little things that make great things: turnovers, penalties and things like that. We have to harp on that and if we want to get to elite status, that’s what we have to do.”

Averaging 43 points per game on the season, the A&M offense was out of sync against the smothering Tiger defense. Scoring 12 straight to kick off the game, the Aggies were unable to add more until late in the fourth quarter.

Heisman candidate and redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel was plagued by three interceptions and accounted for zero touchdowns, a first for his career. Junior running back Ben Malena also fumbled a crucial game-changer late in the first half, allowing LSU to take their initial lead.

“This one hurts a lot,” senior center Patrick Lewis said. “I know a lot of those guys on that team and it would have been real nice to get a win, not only for myself but for our team and for Kyle Field. It’s a win that Texas A&M has needed for a real long time.”

Missed opportunities were a consistent problem on the Aggies’ side of the ball. Redshirt freshman kicker Taylor Bertolet went 2-for-4 on field goals with a missed extra point, including a 33-yard attempt following freshman Trey Williams’ kickoff return to inside the Tiger red zone.

Furthermore, a costly chop-block penalty negated a 34-yard Ben Malena touchdown reception in the first quarter, forcing the Aggies to settle for a short field goal instead.

“We left some points out there, obviously, with a couple missed field goals,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said following the loss. “Against a team like that, you want to score touchdowns in the red zone. They’re a talented football team. You have to give LSU credit.”

The Texas A&M defense, on the other hand, was able to contain a strong Tiger rushing attack for a majority of the matchup while also consistently putting pressure on quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

Outside of a 29-yard endzone catch by Kadron Boone and a 47-yard Jeremy Hill game-clinching touchdown run, the LSU offense was relatively quiet. Considering the field position garnered by the five A&M turnovers, holding the Tigers to 24 points was a success.

“They had a tremendously talented offense,” junior defensive end Damontre Moore said. “They just came up and made [big] plays. They capitalized on our misfortune.”