NEWS & NOTES: Oct. 11

I've wondered for years why the college football polls are released so early each week. From a scouting perspective, it takes me until Thursday or Friday at the earliest to gain a clear understanding of what transpired the previous weekend. And this is not just from a talent perspective.

The current poll situation is flawed. Voters need the extra time to come away with more accurate conclusions.

In doing my individual evaluations, I also get a sense of how teams are performing. What I find is that the final score is often misleading and does not provide an accurate indication of how a team will ultimately shake down.

Voters need the extra time to come away with more accurate conclusions. In my opinion, the current poll situation is flawed.

Another problem I have with the polls is that the defending national champion isn't always provided the opportunity to defend that title on the field. Such is the case this year with Oklahoma. Time after time, the Sooners have proved the doubters wrong, winning a number of key games in an underdog role over the last year and a half. Just look at last week's game against Texas.

An intriguing element of the college football season should be the suspense of seeing if anyone can knock the defending champ off his perch. This season, the pollsters, not the opposition, did just that to the Sooners. What a shame!

BEST SENIOR QB BESIDES CARR? TRY HARRINGTON
With Fresno State's David Carr clearly establishing himself as the elite senior QB in college football, the question now is who will end up being the second signal caller taken off the draft board in April.

	Harrington

While Stanford's Randy Fasani and BYU's Brandon Doman have been able to elevate their rating, I'd currently give the edge to Oregon's Joey Harrington.

Harrington has the size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) to see the field, throws a catchable ball with acceptable velocity, can avoid sack opportunities and has proven to be a tremendously resourceful signal caller who's at his best in clutch situations. While the Ducks are 5-0, this past week on the road against Arizona marked the first time they were able to roll to a one-sided victory. Even their 24-10 win over Utah was a bit of a struggle.

In thrilling victories over Wisconsin and USC, Harrington was the difference. With the ball in his hands on the final drive of the game, he's become college football's version of Packers QB Brett Favre. The key area of improvement with Harrington has been his ability to complete a higher percentage of his passes. As a junior, he was at 53 percent; this season, Harrington is nearing 60 percent.

Oregon sophomore speedster Sami Parker provided a major boost to the pass offense against Arizona. Against the Wildcats, the athletically gifted 5-10, 170-pounder had six receptions for 160 yards and one TD. This week against California, Parker will shift back to the No. 3 receiver spot, since Keenan Howry is back in the starting lineup and almost completely recovered from the bruised ribs he suffered against Utah State on Sept. 29. There is no question, however, that a true talent like Parker will continue to provide the big-play, quick-strike ability for Harrington and the Ducks' aerial assault.

In two weeks, Harrington and Fasani square off when the Ducks host Stanford at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. After that, Oregon's schedule remains challenging. They travel to Pullman in late October to face versatile QB Jason Gesser and Washington State, return home to face Arizona State, and then (in what could be the Game of the Year in the Pac-10) travel to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA.

EXPECT NFL SCOUTS TO BE HIGH ON STANFORD'S WIRE
Last year, Arizona State's Adam Archuleta enjoyed a dramatic rise up the draft board, despite the fact that he was being projected from a rover/LB position to a safety spot in the NFL. Not only was Archuleta dominant throughout the 2000 campaign, but he also came through with superior individual workouts that proved to the NFL brass that he had the necessary package of skills to make the successful transition to the secondary.

This season, the Pac-10 has yet another standout defensive player who will be shifting positions in the NFL: Stanford's Coy Wire. He'll make the move from LB to safety after working at RB until the 2000 campaign. Rugged and super intense, Wire displays a dedication to the game and has the ideal physical/athletic skills (6-1, 218) for the pro level. He'll probably end up at about 220 pounds and still post 40 times in the 4.40 range.

Wire also has remarkable strength and explosion. I'm told he's able to do 30-plus bench-press reps at 225 pounds and post a 38-inch vertical jump. And how about his productivity on a week-to-week basis? Through the first three games, he leads the Cardinal with 23 tackles (12 solos). In a 21-16 victory over USC two weeks ago, Wire keyed a Stanford defense that limited the Trojans to 28 yards on the ground.

INJURY UPDATES
LSU -- Indications are that LSU QB Rohan Davey will be under center for the Bayou Bengals on Saturday at Kentucky when they look to bounce back from a 44-15 home loss to Florida. Davey suffered a bruised knee cap against the Gators but went through most of practice Wednesday.

Washington -- The Huskies aren't so fortunate. Starting QB Cody Pickett is out with a separated right (throwing) shoulder, so Taylor Barton will be the starter against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Compounding matters are several other key injuries that have seriously hurt the Huskies. TE Jerramy Stevens, one of the elite pass-receiving options in the country, will be sidelined until late in the season with a broken foot. Reserve tailback Braxton Cleman, who has been a key contributor, is out with a broken clavicle.

On defense, blue-chip OLB Kai Ellis, Washington's leading tackler, had both knees scoped last week. And backup NT Spencer Marcona is out with a shoulder injury. With so many physical problems, the deck appears stacked against the Huskies. The Bruins had the week off to prepare for what shapes up as a key battle in the Pac-10.

South Carolina -- The Gamecocks have been forced to shift some personnel on the offensive line in preparation for their game this week at Arkansas. Starting LT Travelle Wharton is listed as doubtful due to a sprained ankle he sustained last week against Kentucky. His backup, Jeff Barnes, is out with a shoulder injury. If Wharton can't go against the Razorbacks, versatile Shane Hall will operate at left tackle. Hall has worked at both guard and tackle.