College Confidential

ESPN2 bored with OSU

With Troy dominating Oklahoma State 34-10, it's previous obvious that the Boys in Bristol are bored.

Sideline reporter Joe Schad discussed Saturday's Tennessee-Florida game. Then analyst Todd Blackledge was interviewed by telephone and discussed Saturday's Arkansas-Alabama game.

Apparently, the Worldwide Leader decided that the folks still watching the ESPN2 telecast wanted to hear about what was going to happen instead of what was happening in Troy.

Cowboy ... down

Troy 34, Oklahoma State 10, 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Somehow, I don't think this is what T.Boone had in mind when he invested all those millions in Okie State's athletic department.

Cowboys coach Mike Gundy either looks cool and calm or completely lost.

He said WHAT?

The strategy and the result can be debated thanks to hindsight. The explanation of what happened is hard to accept.

Thursday night in Colorado Springs, TCU had a first and 10 at the Air Force 22 with 54 seconds remaining and the score tied at 17. Air Force had just called its first timeout.

The Frogs could have ran it three times (three QB sneaks?) and forced the Falcons to use their last two timeouts. TCU could have then attempted a game-winning field goal. Instead, TCU passes into the end zone. It’s intercepted. Air Force wins in OT.

Gary Patterson blames offensive coordinator Mike Schultz for calling the pass play:

"We should have run the football,’’ Patterson was quoted as saying. “Why we threw the football, I don't know. I don't call that side of the ball.’’

“I don’t call that side of the ball.”

Excuse me? You’re the head coach. You don’t have oversight on play calls with the game on the line? And you throw your offensive coordinator under the bus after a difficult loss?  Based on the result, it was a terrible call. Second-guessing strategy should be left up to fans, the media or occur in the privacy of the film room.

Patterson has had success because he coaches with passion. The down side to that is that Patterson hasn’t learned how to temper his post-game comments (remember Texas Tech last season?)

Shooting from the lip usually has a scatter gun effect.

Hot links

You might recall that Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers, who hasn’t thought of a smart aleck remark he wouldn’t write, wanted to spend a week in Nebraska before USC’s game with the Huskers. This week, he’s filed this and this.

OT loss

TCU's Chris Manfredini misses a 36-yard field goal try in OT that bounces off the left upright and hands it over to Air Force.

Ryan Harrison of Keller boots a 33-yarder to win the game, as the Falcons score 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and overtime and go to 3-0.

Going for it all

The Horned Frogs go for it all with QB Andy Dalton throwing for Jimmy Young in the end zone from about the 20 and ... a pick, with 49 seconds left.

We're going OT.

What's this?

Suddenly, the Falcons have come alive.

They just scored after a TCU turnover to take it to 17-10, then held the Frogs and went 71 yards on an option to tie it.

There's about 5-and-a-half minutes left.

Keller kicker impresses

Ryan Harrison of Keller took advantage of a nice breeze at his back to boot a 57-yard field goal near the end of the first half to trim Air Force's deficit against TCU to 10-3. He narrowly missed a 50-yarder wide right earlier in the game.

Somehow, the 57-yarder is only tied for the sixth-longest field goal in Air Force history.

-- Jeff Wilson

Blake is back

Preseason All-American Tommy Blake, who recorded his first three tackles of the season against Texas, has already notched his first sack of the season against Air Force. He brought down Shaun Carney to stop the Falcons' second drive. He then batted down a pass on the first play of their next series.

-- Jeff Wilson

Weird visual

UNT-SMU kicks off in about 20 minutes, and the scene is slightly familiar here.

If you've ever seen Southlake Carroll play its hated neighbor, Grapevine, this sight rings a bell. As reported often, UNT looks a lot like Carroll this year and should, with Under Armour outfitting both teams.

SMU and Grapevine not only have the same Mustang mascot, but the same shades of blue and red and the same pony helmet emblem.

This is not meant to imply some joke about a high school game breaking out at Ford Stadium tonight, so don't take it that way. Then again, feel free if you must.

-- Troy Phillips