Loren Tate, Champaign News-Gazette: It's broke. And coach Ron Zook has no idea how to fix it. Illinois has reached the jumping-off point. Athletic director Ron Guenther has no choice but to consider the unthinkable ... to mull over coaching prospects on his short list ... even as he insists, as he should, that no decision will be made before the end of the the season.
Ed Graney, Las Vegas Review-Journal: On second thought, perhaps Mike Sanford should remain Nevada Las Vegas coach for the next decade or so. These 7 p.m. kickoffs can be tough on the ol' deadline writing skills, but with the Rebels of late, you always have a pretty good idea where things are headed at halftime.
Bob Kravitz, South Bend Tribune: Since when is not getting blown out OK? This tells you how far Notre Dame has fallen. Its once-fickle fan base, who used to demand not only victories but lopsided victories that covered the spread, has been reduced to finding solace in outcomes like Saturday's 34-27 loss to USC at Notre Dame Stadium.
Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times: Maybe it's time to start holding the UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel more accountable. We've seen the product he has put together, and it's not quite matching his golden-hued rhetoric. The Bruins, despite some gains, are a team too often plagued by mistakes, mishaps, disjointed play and discombobulation.
Lee Barfknecht, Omaha World-Herald: Now we know why Nebraska, after spring football practice was over, pursued a one-year-eligible quarterback who had been a Duke basketball player.
Bob Hunter, Columbus Dispatch: It's time to take Terrelle Pryor off his pedestal.
Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: It was another glorious grind for the unshakable Iowa Hawkeyes.
Brice Cherry, Waco Tribune-Herald: Do you want the truth? Can you handle the truth? Because it's going to sting like a Midwest October breeze. Truth is, this was Baylor's season. This was the Bears' bowl game, and they lost to Iowa State.
Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle: Kansas State 62, Texas A&M 14. No one on the Aggie sideline saw this coming. This was supposed to be A&M's easy road game.
Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Steve Spurrier is not so superior anymore.
Ray Melick, Birmingham News: On a day in which so many good teams looked average and average teams looked good, Auburn looked neither. The question to be asked: What has happened to Gus Malzahn's offense?
Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun: Tim Tebow said he closed his eyes as Caleb Sturgis kicked a 27-yard field goal to give Florida its 23-20 victory over Arkansas. "I was praying," Tebow said.
John Rohde, Oklahoma: Don't second-guess Sam Bradford's decision to come back to Oklahoma. He deserves better treatment than that.
Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star: Through all the drama, trailing 38-29 with 11 minutes remaining, yielding 584 yards (more than in any game across two years), and beating a team that crushed its soul in 2007 and 2008, all that matters is that Arizona avoided losing.
Paola Boivin, Arizona Republic: At long last, Arizona State has found its identity.
Bob Kravitz doesn't write for the South Bend Tribune; he writes for the Indianapolis Star.
Posted by: Bob | October 19, 2009 at 12:40 PM