Sunday Morning: 1st & 10

Ten things from yesterday's college football games:

1. Our OU Bruthas were blowing up our BlackBerry late last night. Like us, most of them were watching UTEP host texASS. Not that any of us were hopeful for a Bonghorn loss. Still, when UTEP scored on its first two possessions to go up 6-zip, the game became interesting. Well, for about 10 minutes -- until Lack Crown's boys began to dominate. And just like that we switched over to Arizona State and Stanford. After a few minutes, the BlackBerry exploded for five straight minutes. Our OU brethren wanted to know if we had seen some old fashioned monkey business during the texAss game. ESPN cameras showed some students sitting on rocks over looking the field. And apparently one young co-ed was doing "stuff" to a male student. We quickly cursed ourselves out for switching games. Fret not, someone buzzed me, it had already been YouTubed. I can't tell if she is really doing anything, but it's funny nonetheless. Be sure to listen to ESPN's Bob Davie when he says, "They look like they're having a great time!"

2. Much ado was made about the excessive celebration penalty that (perhaps) cost the Washington Huskies their game against BYU. For those who don't know the story, you obviously did not watch ESPN yesterday. For they talked about it and showed the penalty every five minutes for about seven hours. Washington QB Jake Locker scored on a two yard run with just seconds remaining in the game to cut BYU's lead to 28-27. However, upon scoring, Locker flipped the ball over his shoulders high into the air. Tweet-Tweet. Unsportsmanlike Conduct -- which forced the PAT to be kicked from the 35-yards. Of course, the kick was lower than low and easily stuffed by the Cougars. For the next seven hours, ESPN announcers cried long and hard about how poor Ty Willingham's team had been hosed by the officials. Two things: It was a penalty. Any college player would have been ticketed for the transgression. It's only a big deal because it came on basically the last play of the game and it ended up costing a team a potential victory. Secondly, make the damn kick! Thirty five yards is certainly no normal PAT. But it's a relative chip-shot. At least it ought to be.

3. Next weekend, it will be nice to get the SEC playing some league games. That means we have a 3:30 date with CBS announcers Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. The former is very good and the latter is simply the best around. (And we still long for the days when he was buddied up with Our Man Splint for the ABC games.)

4. Let the hoop-lah begin for Southern Cal and Ohio State. Let's see: OSU is coming off of a struggle with mighty Ohio. (Despite being favored by 33 points, the Buckeyes won, 26-14.) They probably won't have star running back Beanie Wells. The game is on the West Coast. And, oh yeah -- SC is coming off an early bye week. Yikes! USC 31 OSU 13.

5. We were not overly impressed with Florida's 26-3 win over The U last night. Two things are obvious about Florida this year. 1. They don't want Tim Tebow taking nearly as many hits this season. 2. Teams are forcing him to be a pocket passer -- the one thing that he is not good at. (At least not yet.) Only when Urban Meyer went to three-step drops was Tebow anything remotely special through the air. Look for the entire SEC to counter Florida's Spread Oh with a version of the Spread D. Teams will spread the field sideline to sideline, keeping Tebow in the middle of the field and taking away the deep ball to his receivers. They will dare Tebow to beat them from the pocket with dinky 7-yard passes. The U did a great job at it last night. Unfortunately for them, our NFL Flag Football team (made up of six-year olds) has a better (and more complex) offense.

6. Gonna be a long year in The Big House. They won yesterday, beating powerful Miami of Ohio, by a whopping 16-6 margin.

7. Then again, if Michigan could somehow transfer to the ACC, they would be instant contenders. The latest ACC Embarrassment came when Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee State (Middle Tennessee State?!?), 24-14. Classic.

8. The Maize and Blue would do well in the Big East, too. To wit: Akron 42 Syracuse 28, East Carolina 24 West Virginia 3 and UConn barely beating Temple, 12-9 in OT.

9. Does anyone else remember listening to ABC's Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles in the 80's?!? The best. Simply, the best.

10. Fresno State's Next Victim: Wisconsin.