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| Wednesday, November 1 So that's the reason it's called Happy Valley By Gene Wojciechowski ESPN The Magazine | ||||||||
| From the home office in Bristol, Conn., the weekly Top 20 List. . .
20 -- Soapbox moment Doesn't the Faculty Senate at Pleasantville University, otherwise known as Penn State, have anything better to do with its time than approve a no-booing resolution at football games? What's next, passage of a no-indictment bill for Rashard Casey? (Although assault charges against Casey were dropped). Just because the place is called "Happy Valley" doesn't mean Nittany Lion followers have to become Wal-Mart greeters and put a smiley face on the program's worst start in 36 years. But don't tell that to Penn State's Polite Police, who have instructed the Beaver Stadium P.A. announcer to read the knucklehead resolution beginning with this Saturday's game against Iowa. 19 -- Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 14 The Citrus Growers of America made a killing in Norman as Sooner fans flung oranges at the Memorial Stadium field after every OU score, and especially as the final seconds ticked off in the upset of then-No. 1 Nebraska. A couple of postgame questions:
Wilson-Guest cradled a Sony mini-cam after the OU victory. He bought the video camera shortly after the Sooners beat Texas in early October. That's when he figured out that OU might have something special on its hands. "Started thinking. . . I'd love to have this when I'm fat, 40-years old, sitting around talking about my glory days," he said. So he handed the thing to a Sooner teammate who wasn't playing Saturday and had him film away. Afterward, Wilson-Guest shot more footage in the OU locker room. "I don't ever want to forget this moment," he said. 17 -- Wildest rumor update No, Texas backup quarterback Chris Simms is not going to transfer. Yes, he is seriously considering a redshirt season next year. He won't make a final decision on his future until after the Longhorns' spring game. If Simms does redshirt, he'll have two years of eligibility remaining -- and no more Major Applewhite to worry about. 16 -- On second thought When Alabama head coach Mike DuBose offered his resignation (effective at season's end) after a mid-September shutout loss to Southern Mississippi, Crimson Tide athletic director Mal Moore said he wasn't interested. Said he was standing by his man. But it has become apparent that this schizoid team and splintered coaching staff couldn't coexist. Since DuBose's resignation offer, Bama has lost to Arkansas, to Tennessee (for a sixth consecutive time), and most recently, to Central Florida. . . at Tuscaloosa, on Homecoming, in front of the usual Tide movers and shakers. That was enough to convince Moore that Bama had to make a change. Now the best Bama can do is finish 6-5, maybe 7-5 if it somehow beats LSU at Baton Rouge, beats Mississippi State at Starkville, beats Auburn and squeezes its way into the SEC Championship and wins that one (fat chance). Whatever happens, it won't be enough to salvage what was supposed to be a season to remember for the Tide. 15 -- A week to forget Arizona State lost to No. 10 Oregon in double overtime, 56-55, when the Sun Devils faked an extra point and instead tried to win the game outright with a pass to tight end Todd Heap. It didn't work, but here's guessing ASU will get over the disappointment. A week earlier the Sun Devils boarded their charter plane from Pullman, Wash., to Phoenix, only to have the aircraft get struck in flight not once, but twice by lightning. "The flight attendants were scrambling and there was a sense that this might be the way it ends," wrote ASU media relations director Mark Brand in an e-mail. "When we finally touched down, everyone on board cheered and clapped. I'll tell you, I have never experienced that feeling before and was just hoping that I would see my kids one more time." 14 -- Player of the week Got me. Oklahoma's Josh Heupel? Purdue's Drew Brees? Georgia Tech's George Godsey? Florida State's Travis Minor? Oregon's Joey Harrington? Northwestern Damien Anderson? Godsey edges Heupel on the strength of a 454-yard, 3-touchdown performance against No. 4 Clemson, including a last-minute, game-winning pass to wide receiver Kerry Watkins. The Godsey-Watkins connection was sweet for a couple of reasons. First, Watkins almost quit the team this past spring. And it was Watkins who dropped a potential game-tying touchdown pass from Godsey in the waning moments against North Carolina State. 13 -- Special teams Two words you haven't heard much at Florida State: "It's gooooooood!" That's because FSU's place-kickers have done only slightly better than Heather Sue Mercer on a good day. The Seminoles went through Chance Gwaltney and Matt Munyon Saturday against North Carolina State before an exasperated Bobby Bowden inserted Brett Cimorelli into the lineup. Cimorelli promptly converted seven extra points and also hit a 38-yard field goal. On an evening when the Seminoles waxed a pretty decent N.C. State team, 58-14, discovered a running game, and were able to pull a gimpy Chris Weinke early in the fourth quarter, the most encouraging development might have been Cimorelli's effort. Cimorelli, a pro baseball prospect, chose Florida State over Notre Dame, Clemson and, ta-da, Heather Sue's Duke. 12 -- Numbers game So you figured FSU's Bowden would take it easy on his former longtime assistant, Chuck Amato, once the Seminoles moved comfortably ahead of Amato's Wolfpack, right? Nope. Florida State kept running and throwing, even in the fourth period -- not because he wanted to embarrass Amato, but because margin of victory can make a difference in the BCS computer programs, as well as in the minds of the coaches and media who vote in the two polls. Get used to it. As the rankings tighten, more and more coaches will have to consider running it up whenever they get the chance. 11 -- Bowden, Bowden, Bowden If North Carolina decides to replace the embattled Carl Torbush at season's end, one name to remember is Terry Bowden, the former Auburn coach and now-ABC studio commentator. A Bowden hire would mean Bobby, Tommy (Clemson) and Terry all in the same Atlantic Coast Conference. 10 -- Quote of the week "I don't think he likes getting hit as hard as we hit people." -- Ohio State linebacker Joe Cooper, in a pregame assessment of Purdue quarterback Drew Brees. Brees not only took Ohio State's best shots, but delivered a few haymakers of his own, including three touchdowns and 455 passing yards (39 of 63) in Purdue's come-from-behind victory. Until Saturday, Brees had never thrown a TD against the Buckeyes. 9 -- California 28, USC 16 Five consecutive losses for the Trojans (all in the Pac-10), and counting. USC lost five in a row last year, too, but this is worse. The Trojans still have four games remaining, including a trip to Arizona State, UCLA's Rose Bowl, and home against Notre Dame. Somewhere in Vegas, John Robinson is smiling. If USC hands Hackett his pink slip, the school would be smart to put the likes of Oregon's Mike Bellotti and Pittsburgh's Walt Harris on its short list. And memo to any athletic director looking for a coach who knows his stuff: Mike Gottfried would make a lovely addition to any program. 8 -- Wild rumor of the week USC coach Paul Hackett is begging the school's Faculty Senate to follow Penn State's anti-booing lead. 7 -- Vote getter Central Florida officials aren't shy when it comes to campaigning for a place one day in the Big East Conference. Saturday's stunning win against Alabama won't hurt the Golden Knights' cause. Of course, if the Big East doesn't work out, maybe they can take Bama's or Vandy's place in the SEC. 6 -- Heisman Trophy race
Keep name on DAC's Palm Pilot: Auburn's Rudi Johnson, Northwestern's Damien Anderson, Virginia Tech's Michael Vick, Nebraska's Eric Crouch, Wisconsin's Michael Bennett. Can tell the kids he was a fringe Heisman candidate: Michigan's Anthony Thomas. Thanks for stopping by the booth: Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler, Washington's Marques Tuiasosopo. 5 -- Congratulations To Iowa State, which beat Missouri, earned its sixth victory and became bowl eligible. If the Cyclones receive a postseason bid it will be their first appearance since 1978. 4 -- Congratulations, Part II To Baylor, for scoring its first touchdown in four games. The bad news: Baylor still lost to Texas, 48-14. 3 -- Whatever happened to. . . Illinois. Ever since the Illini got jobbed by Big Ten refs against Michigan, Ron Turner's team is 1-3, the latest loss coming against Michigan State. All three losses have come on the road. 2 -- Too much Heup(el) Oversized four-color postcards featuring Heupel were distributed to writers at the Oklahoma-Nebraska game. "Precision 2000," it read, along with the subhead, "The Most Accurate Passer in Big 12 Conference History." We could be wrong, but doesn't Big 12 Conference history only go back to 1996? One hack's weekly elite Oklahoma (7-0) -- It's just like the old times, except without the semi-automatic weapons in Wilkinson Hall. Virginia Tech (8-0) -- Vick-less Hokies hold on against Pittsburgh. Miami (6-1) -- If Hurricanes want to make run at national title, they'll have to do better than uninspired win against Louisiana Tech. Not to worry, Virginia Tech up next. Florida State (8-1) -- Seminoles could have used an undefeated Clemson for BCS push. Florida (7-1) -- All is right in Gator Land: Steve Spurrier pulled his starter in the first quarter. Nebraska (7-1) -- Cornhuskers pick wrong time to blow 14-0 lead. Oregon (7-1) -- Ducks could have, should have lost to Arizona State. . . but didn't. Washington (7-1) -- Huskies need help to make Rose Bowl. Oregon State (7-1) -- We believe! Purdue (7-2) -- Boilermakers can smell the roses. Waiting List: TCU (7-0), Southern Mississippi (6-1), Clemson (8-1), Notre Dame (6-2), Georgia Tech (6-2). Honorary Elite: Central Florida (6-3). Gene Wojciechowski's Movers and Shakers appears every Monday. | ALSO SEE Heisman watch: Saturday's numbers What you might have missed AUDIO/VIDEO   George Godsey hits Kelly Campbell 48-yards downfield for the Georgia Tech score.avi: 1091 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Purdue's Drew Brees throws a 19-yard pass to Vinny Sutherland for the TD.(courtesy: ABCSports)avi: 1408 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Joey Harrington airs it out to Keenan Howry for a 26-yard TD.avi: 1411 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Oklahoma's Andre Woolfolk pulls down the circus-catch on his back with one hand.avi: 1420 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1  ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski discusses Saturday's Nebraska-Oklahoma game.wav: 2560 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski previews the Virginia Tech-Miami match-up.wav: 822 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski anlyzes the strength of the Big Ten conference.wav: 921 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||||
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