College Confidential

Stange call, poor game management

Missouri passed up a 40-yard field goal attempt by Jeff Wolfert (a kicker who has never missed in Big 12 games) to run a fake on fourth-and-12. The pass to Will Franklin gained just seven yards.

On their next possession, the Tigers had to burn their first timeout _ after a television timeout _ when they couldn't pull the trigger on a first-down play.

_ Wendell Barnhouse

Traffic jammed

There were nearly 80,000 people attending the Missouri-Kansas game at Arrowhead Stadium. And apparently they call brought their own car. The pre-game traffic jam was horrendous.

The busses carrying the Kansas team even got stuck. The Jayhawks spent the night in Lawrence and they were scheduled to arrive at the stadium at 5 p.m. They didn't arrive until about 5:20 p.m.

_ Wendell Barnhouse

Here we go

We're underway at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Missouri and Kansas each went three and out on their two possessions.

This wouldn't be a 13-10 game, would it?

_ Wendell Barnhouse

Interim coach at A&M named

The yet-to-be-determined interim coach of Texas A&M was named on Saturday as defensive coordinator Gary Darnell will be leading the Aggies into their bowl game.

“Gary has head coaching experience and our young men and coaching staff respect him,” Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said. “He will lead our team in our bowl preparations and during the game.”

Darnell made the most sense with his head coaching experience. He's been an interim coach before, taking over at Florida for the last seven games in 1989 (3-4). Before coming to Texas A&M, he was the head coach at Western Michigan and he has also been the head coach at Tennessee Tech.

But don't expect the interim coach title to be lifted. Darnell will not be the next head coach of the Aggies.

_ John Miller

Nebraska fires Callahan

In a meeting that took 15 minutes _ his boss talks slow and apparently it took him that long to say "You're fired" _ Nebraska coach Bill Callahan was dismissed as the Cornhuskers' coach. Interim athletic director Tom Osborne made the official announcement at a 9:30 a.m. news conference.

The coaching carousel is about to start spinning at blur speed. Nebraska and Texas A&M are officially looking for coaches. (Rest assured that both schools have been, through third parties, secretly communicating with potential candidates.)

Michigan also needs a coach. Arkansas probably will fire Houston Nutt even though coach Lazarus upset the nation's No. 1 team Saturday.

LSU's loss made Michigan's search simpler ... assuming LSU coach Les Miles remains near the top of their list. Miles doesn't have to worry about abandoning a team in the middle of a national championship chase if he decides to move to Ann Arbor.

If MIles leaves Baton Rouge, that means another cadillac program will be seeking a coach. This is gonna look like a shopping mall the Friday after Thanksgiving.

_ Wendell Barnhouse

A late-night Heisman update

Hawaii's Colt Brennan passed for 494 yards and five touchdowns in the Warriors' 39-27 victory over Boise State Friday night. Like Arkansas' Darren McFadden, Brennan's performance was Heisman-worthy.

Florida's Tim Tebow is still the front runner to win the award but the gap was narrowed by McFadden and Brennan.

Here's one Heisman Trophy voter's guess as to who will be invited to New York City for the Heisman Trophy awards ceremony on Dec. 8: Tebow, McFadden, Brennan, Missouri's Chase Daniel (if the Tigers beat Kansas), West Virginia's Pat White (if the Mountaineers finish 11-1) and maybe Kansas' Todd Reesing (if the Jayhawks finish 13-0).

-- Wendell Barnhouse

Aloha means BCS?

Hawaii could help bail the Bowl Championship Series out of a potential mess.

The Warriors' 39-27 victory over Boise State Friday night in Honolulu clinched the Western Athletic Conference championship. Hawaii (11-0) ends the season Saturday with a non-conference game against Washington.

Hawaii was No. 15 in this week's BCS standings. The Warriors figure to move up at least one spot with No. 13 Texas' loss to Texas A&M. Hawaii also could get a boost from the voters and computers after defeating the Broncos, No. 19 in the current BCS standings.

To earn a bid to a BCS bowl, Hawaii needs to finish No. 12 or higher in the final BCS standings. It could also qualify if it finishes No. 16 or higher and is higher ranked than any of the BCS conference champions.

The BCS announced this week that it would tweak its rules if need be. To be considered for an at-large BCS bowl invitation, teams must have nine wins and be ranked No. 14 or higher in the final BCS standings. The BCS commissioners said the at-large qualifications would be changed to the top 18 in the final BCS standings.

Because none of the six BCS conferences can have more than two teams in BCS bowls, the at-large teams must come from four of the six BCS conferences. However, it's becoming more evident that eligible at-large teams will only be available in the Big 12, SEC and Pac-10.

If Hawaii qualifies as a BCS team, there will be a need for only three at-large BCS teams.

_ Wendell Barnhouse

Good bye and good riddance

TCU fans, you got a break when Dennis Franchione put Fort Worth in his rear view mirror. Since leaving the Frogs to take the Alabama and then the Texas A&M coaching jobs, Coach Fraud has shown his true colors.

Following the Aggies' 38-30 victory over Texas, Franchione announced that he was resigning, stepping down, quitting. The timing of the announcement is reprehensible. Instead of any attention being focused on Texas A&M's satisfying victory over the Longhorns, Dennis Franchione made sure that the spotlight was focused on him.

In recent weeks, it's apparent that Franchione's representatives and A&M's lawyers were able to agree on a buyout. Franchione got his money. Good for him.

But the announcement could have been made Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Why announce it after the game?

Why? Because Franchione didn't want to answer questions about his future at A&M. A future that had been sealed ever since the VIP Connection became public. By reading a statement and leaving the podium, Franchione was able to figuratively flip off his detractors.

This is a coach who slithered away from Tuscaloosa to take the Texas A&M job. Franchione left behind a bunch of Crimson Tide players who had believed in him, players who had stayed with Alabama and signed with Alabama despite problems brought on by NCAA probation.

It is pertinent to repeat that Franchione left without saying goodbye to the Alabama players. He has said he didn't return to Tuscaloosa to meet his players face to face because he and his family had received death threats.

All those Texas A&M players who sprinted, lifted, sweated and gave their all for the Aggies have learned the same lesson of loyalty that Franchione's Alabama players learned. Maybe the Aggies and Tide players can form a support group.

Dennis Franchione made his reputation turning around struggling programs. Coach Turnaround doesn't know how to leave gracefully or with class.

-- Wendell Barnhouse

McFadden rejoins Heisman race

Darren McFadden could end up where he started. The Arkansas running back, runner up in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting to Ohio State's Troy Smith, entered this season as the favorite to win it.

The Heisman chase has mirrored the 2007 _ twists and turns with team's fortunes changing in moments. And now McFadden is back in the middle of Heisman consideration.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, whose Gators face Florida State Saturday, had emerged as the current favorite to win the Heisman. Tebow has put up outstanding numbers and could become the first sophomore to win the iconic award.

In Arkansas' 50-48 triple overtime upset of top-ranked LSU, McFadden ran for 206 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass that put the Razorbacks ahead 28-21 in the fourth quarter.

The nationally televised game will no doubt boost McFadden's chances. Just when it appeared that Tebow was poised to become the runaway favorite, McFadden's performance created more drama.

_ Wendell Barnhouse

for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and even threw for another score to lift Arkansas to a 50-48 victory Friday, likely eliminating another team from the national title chase.

For Baylor, now what?

For the Baylor Bears, now what?

Former Baylor All-American linebacker Mike Singletary was the Bears' first choice to replace Guy Morriss as the team's new head football coach. But since the Bears have no intention of trying to compete with Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State and all of the other teams who are contenders for the national championship _ as Singletary suggested _ Singletary withdrew his name from Baylor's coaching search.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, who many think is going to get fired by the Razorbacks at the end of this season, is believed to be the Bears' second choice behind Singletary. But how can Nutt's bosses fire him after he led the Razorbacks _ they're already in a bowl game _ to a wild 50-48 triple-overtime win over No. 1-ranked LSU on Friday?

If Nutt stays with the Razorbacks, Baylor will have to move to coaching choice No. 3 to replace Morriss. With the intensed recruiting period already underway, the Bears better hurry up and find Morriss' successor or else the new coach will already be miles behind by the time he gets the job.

_ Dwain Price