The Wiz of Odds

Reporters Notebooks

Frederic J. Frommer, Associated Press: Playoff PAC, the political action committee that wants the bowls replaced with a championship playoff system, plans to file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday against the operators of the Fiesta, Sugar and Orange Bowls, three of the five games that constitute the Bowl Championship Series, alleging the games violated their tax-exempt status by paying excessive salaries and perks, providing "sweetheart loans" and doing undisclosed lobbying. Link to Playoff PAC site.

Steve Berkowitz, Jodi Upton, Michael McCarthy and Jack Gillum, USA Today: Excellent piece on how student fees are being jacked up to pay for intercollegiate athletics. Plus a chart analyzing the percentage of tuition that goes to athletics and a database examining schools' athletic budgets.

Marcus Fuller, St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said former Kansas coach Mark Mangino has not been hired as a consultant to Golden Gopher coach Tim Brewster.

Scott Wolf, Inside USC: HBO's Real Sports host Bryant Gumbel criticized the NCAA for punishing USC over the Reggie Bush affair but not punishing Florida for having 27 players arrested in Urban Meyer's tenure.

Laken Litman, Dallas Morning News: Students at Texas are petitioning to change the date of the 2011 Red River Rivalry because the game falls on Yom Kippur, the holiest of Jewish holidays. The game is currently scheduled for Oct. 8, 2011.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Improving USC is 3-0, but it's not getting much love from voters in the Associated Press poll.

Jay Christensen, Covers: What's the easiest way to impress pollsters and boosters? Try running up the score. A look at four coaches who aren't afraid of scoring a few style points.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: Why all the cupcakes on nonconference schedules of Big Ten teams? Money.

Football Saturday in Dinkytown

Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin made the trek Saturday to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for the USC-Minnesota game in the Golden Gophers' sparkling TCF Bank Stadium. Although these are not the best of times for Minnesota football, the school did honor a slice of its rich history by welcoming back more than 40 players from its 1960 national championship team.

The 2010 Gophers didn't live up to those lofty standards, but they did put up a fight before falling to the Trojans, 32-21.

There are more photos after the jump. To view Greg's gallery from the game, click here.

Minnesota

If they could only finish. In 2008, the Golden Gophers started 7-1 and lost their last five. In 2009 — the inaugural season in TCF Bank Stadium — a promising 4-2 start ended in a disappointing 6-7 record. Where does this put Tim Brewster? Depends who you ask, but many in the Land of 10,000 Lakes would like a fresh start. It won't be easy for Minnesota to better six victories in 2010. The schedule includes home games against USC, Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa. The Gophers will likely be underdogs in all of those games, meaning the team is going to have to win on the road. For the record, Brewster's teams have won only five road games in his three seasons as coach.

As a run-up to the start of the season, the Wiz will display one poster each day until our supply is exhausted. Last year, the site displayed 69 posters.

Then we turn it over to readers, who will vote on the poster of the year. In the meantime, send your team's poster schedule to jayzuma (at) gmail.com. Thanks to Jeff!

Click the image for an enlarged view.

Is Minnesota Ready to Fire Brewster?

Normally, a coach who guides his team to a bowl game doesn't get fired.

Tim Brewster is not your normal coach.

Brewster has the Minnesota Golden Gophers headed to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, but his relationship with athletic director Joel Maturi has become increasingly strained after the coach's name somehow got connected to the recent opening at Kansas. There was never any interest on Kansas' part, and the belief is that Brewster's agent floated his client's name in hopes of getting a contract extension.

"There are rumors that he's going to Kansas, so I don't know," Maturi said after hearing about the report. "What can I say? So I can't guarantee it, no. I can't guarantee the decisions of other people."

Public opinion has also turned against Brewster. A Star Tribune poll asking if the coach should get be fired or be given an extension wasn't close. Over 70% favored a firing.

Minnesota Mascot Behaving Badly

Penn State defensive end Jerome Hayes is mocked by Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher while saying a prayer in the end zone before Saturday's game at Beaver Stadium.

Minnesota

The Golden Gophers spent 26 seasons playing home games at the off-campus Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. All that is about to change. The team is back on campus in the $288.5 million TCF Bank Stadium, with the first game in the new facility scheduled for Sept. 12 against Air Force. Coach Tim Brewster and six players are pictured in the Bank's locker room, which is 60 yards long by 25 yards wide. It contains 120 cherry wood lockers and is the largest in professional and college football. Having spiffy digs is nice, but will this team make Minnesotans proud? The Gophers must come out of the tailspin that concluded the 2008 season, when the team lost its last five, including a 55-0 humbling by Iowa in Minnesota's final game in the Metrodome. Thanks to Chris, Jordan and John!