Oct 11th, 2009
The I’s have it this week as we round up the incredible, the inexcusable and the ignorant of college football, starting with Idaho, an unnoticed surprise story of the country:
– IDAHO – Guess who is along atop the Western Athletic Conference. OK, the category gave it away, but it is still hard to believe the Vandals are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the WAC after going 3-21 over the previous two season and being the worst football program in
Tom Cable (left) as Idaho coach/AP photo Elaine Thompson
FBS (That’s Division I-A). Current Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson, who went 4-8 at Idaho in 2006, and Oakland Raiders head man Tom Cable, who was 11-35 in his four seasons as Vandals head coach, seemed to solidify the theory that no one could win there. Idaho seats just 16,000 at its football home, the Kibbie Dome, fewer than many of the college basketball arenas, but the Vandals filled it for their win over Colorado State two weeks ago and then beat San Jose State on the road Saturday.
– IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES – Two very different ways to look at Cal’s 0-2 start in the Pac-10: 1. Two of the Pac-10’s past three Rose Bowl representatives had two conference losses, the Bears have already played the conference’s two best teams, and every Pac-10 team seems capable of losing twice. 2. Mark Schlabach, one of the two ESPN.com college football writers who posted bowl projections this week, does not expect Cal to play in any of the 34 bowl games.
– IN TROUBLE – Florida State is 2-4, its worst start since 1976, which was also Bobby Bowden’s first season as Seminoles head coach, which was also the last time Florida State had a losing season. Assuming it won’t win the season-ending game at Florida, the Seminoles would have to win four of their five other games to avoid another losing season. If Bowden is forced to retire after this season, there would be a certain symmetry to that.
– IOWA – The difference between Kirk Ferentz’s job being in jeopardy, as it seemed to be last season, and thoughts of a Rose Bowl is only a few points.
After going 6-10 in the Big Ten over the previous two seasons, the Hawkeyes were 2-3 in the Big Ten last season, with all three losses being by five points or less. Ferentz and his huge contract were catching plenty of heat at that point before Iowa beat Penn State in the next game on a field goal on the final play. The Hawkeyes have not lost since, with five of those 10 consecutive wins being by five points or less. Iowa would have been ridiculed if it had lost to Northern Iowa or Arkansas State at home this season, and they were in jeopardy of losing both. But they pulled out both victories, winning by a combined margin of four points. So the Hawkeyes are ranked No. 11, they are the only Big Ten that is unbeaten overall and Ferentz is a hero again. IN AND OUT – The Pac-10 is a mediocre conference and the reason is simple – quarterbacks, typically the strong suit in the conference. Only five of the 10 teams have had the same starting quarterback in every game this year, and two of those five – Cal (Kevin Riley) and Arizona State (Danny Sullivan) – are far from satisfied with their quarterbacks’ play. Oregon State and Washington are the only two who should feel good about their quarterback situation. The conference has been touting its running backs and its defense, but the absence of topflight quarterbacks is the reason why.
– INVISIBLE HEISMAN RANKINGS – If the names were hidden and we just went on facts, here’s how the Heisman race might look now: 1. Player A – Quarterback ranked second nationally in pass efficiency with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 13-to-2 playing for an undefeated team ranked in the top 10. 2. Player B – Quarterback ranked ninth in pass efficiency with 13 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions for an undefeated top-10 team. 3. Player C – Quarterback second in pass efficiency with 7 TDs and 2 interceptions for undefeated top-10 team. 4. Player D – Quarterback who is first in pass efficiency with 12 TDs and 2 picks for 4-1, top-25 team. 5. Player E – Running back who is third nationally in rushing and all-purpose yardage for a 4-1 team. Not included: Player F – Quarterback who is 26th in pass efficiency with 10 TDs and 6 picks for top-10 team. Player G – Quarterback who has played less than two games for 3-2 team.
Remove the tape covering the names and discover that Player A is Kellen Moore of Boise State, Player B is Tony Pike of Cincinnati, Player C is Tim Tebow of Florida, Player D is Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame, Player E is Noel Devine of West Virginia, Player F is Colt McCoy of Texas and Player G is Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.
– INTERESTING ITEM — Note how the official describes a ruling after a replay of a disputed play. If he says the call on the field is “confirmed,” it means replays showed the the officials made the right call. If the he says the call on the field “stands,” it means the folks looking at the replay in the booth were not sure whether the call on the field was right or not but did not have enough evidence to change it.
