Steve Slaton and Patrick White have seen gaping holes in defensive lines this year, but nothing like the hole Southern California’s loss Saturday left their West Virginia Mountaineers for the Bowl Championship Series title game.
The Trojans’ 33-31 loss at unranked Oregon State dropped them from third to eighth in Sunday’s BCS standings, with West Virginia (7-0) moving into the coveted No. 3 spot behind Ohio State and Michigan. With those two expected to knock one out of the BCS title game in their regular-season finale Nov. 18, the team in the No. 3 spot on that date would move into No. 2.
West Virginia’s showdown at Louisville (7-0) on Thursday is slated as the biggest in Louisville history. It just got bigger. The Cardinals moved up to No. 5, and a win Thursday gives them a shot at the title game, too.
However, a West Virginia loss opens the door, again, for others. Florida (7-1) sits at No. 4 and doesn’t play a ranked team until the Southeastern Conference title game directly in its sights.
Also, if the season ended today, Boise State (8-0) would be in a BCS bowl game. Clemson’s loss Thursday at Virginia Tech dropped the Tigers (7-2) behind the 14th-ranked Broncos who meet the BCS qualification of being in the top 16 and ahead of the top team of a BCS conference. Boston College (7-1), at No. 15, is the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team but likely would move ahead of Boise State if it finishes 12-1.
Sticks and stones will …
Oregon State took some biblical inspiration to upset USC. In a Friday night chapel meeting, wide receiver Sammie Stroughter brought up the tale of David and Goliath. He accentuated it by bringing a sack of stones and handing one to each player. Linebacker Alan Darlin kept his while in uniform.
Stroughter wound up running a punt back 70 yards for a score as Oregon State (4-4) beat its highest-ranked opponent since upsetting O.J. Simpson and the top-ranked Trojans 3-0 in the mud in Corvallis, Ore., in 1967.
“It was David and Goliath, and we just kept saying, ‘Chop off their head,”‘ Stroughter told reporters after the game.
It was a huge win for coach Mike Riley and quarterback Matt Moore, both of whom fans wanted replaced. However, Riley didn’t sit on an early lead, continuing to throw on first down and Moore, who transferred from UCLA, threw for 262 yards and a touchdown.
USC’s concerns
Many saw this coming eventually, considering USC’s close calls the last three weeks. The Trojans’ defense, allegedly better than last year’s unit, got shredded thanks to no pass rush and no forced turnovers. Meanwhile, the young offense committed four.
Not to say there’s finger pointing, but linebacker Rey Maualuga said afterward, “People are not playing to the best of their ability.”
Anchors aweigh
A little insight into Notre Dame’s NCAA-record 43-game win streak over Navy: The teams have played every year since 1927, but never on Navy’s home field in Annapolis, Md. They play elsewhere because of the small, 34,000-seat capacity of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Since the streak began in 1964, Navy has played its home game against the Irish in Philadelphia (seven times); Cleveland (twice); East Rutherford, N.J. (six times); Landover, Md. (once); Dublin, Ireland (once); Orlando, Fla. (once); and Baltimore (four times).
Notre Dame has won the 43 games by an average score of 36-12, recording nine shutouts, including three straight in 1979-81. Navy has stayed within single digits only seven times, coming closest in an 18-17 loss in 1984.
Where’s Nebraska’s D?
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said in August that his front seven is “as good as any front seven in college football.” Who could have doubted him? He had five starters back from a unit that led the nation in sacks, with 50.
After nine games, however, Nebraska has only 18 sacks and stands tied for 61st. The pitiful pass rush let Oklahoma State’s Bobby Reid throw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in Nebraska’s deflating 41-29 loss.
Still, if now-unranked Nebraska (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) beats visiting Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday, the Cornhuskers have the inside track to the North Division trophy, which Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel accurately described Sunday as “a bedpan.”
Temple gets revenge
Temple didn’t know which was bigger: ending its nation-leading 20-game losing streak or getting revenge on Bowling Green with its 28-14 win. The past two years, Bowling Green has crushed the Owls, 70-7 and 70-16.
“You kind of hate them,” Temple linebacker Ryan Gore told reporters. “It was 42-7 at halftime last year, and they kept throwing the ball and trying to put it in our faces. Now we’re up on them.”
Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon, a former Colorado assistant whose Falcons have lost 10 of their past 20, probably didn’t help his next contract negotiation by saying afterward, “I don’t think we are mentally tough enough right now to win football games.”
Footnotes
How opportunistic is Ohio State? It has turned 20 turnovers into 86 points. Its opponents have turned nine turnovers into zip. … Was Xavier Lee that bad in practice that he couldn’t start before hitting 22-of-36 for 286 yards and two touchdowns in Florida State’s 27-24 loss at Maryland? … Now San Diego State kind of knows what Colorado felt like after I-AA Montana State lost to Division II Chadron State. A week before beating the Aztecs, I-AA Cal Poly blew a 28-6 lead with eight minutes left in a 29-28 loss to South Dakota State. At home. But at least Cal-Poly is in the top 10 and SDSU is Division I-AA.
Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
