The Wiz of Odds

What They're Saying in the Aftermath of Kiffin's Firing

USC fans used to fill the L.A. Coliseum in the Pete Carroll era. Under Lane Kiffin, those who showed filled the stadium with boos.

The unpopular coach was on the job for 43 games, the last being Saturday night's 62-41 loss at Arizona State.

His firing came early Sunday morning in a parking lot at L.A. International Airport. After players and staff had departed the team charter and boarded buses for the trip to campus, Kiffin was reportedly asked to depart. He wanted the bus to remain, but a school administrator motioned for it to depart.

Athletic director Pat Haden was waiting for Kiffin, and he told the coach that he was fired.

Kiffin, 38, compiled a 28-15 record as USC coach.

The reaction around Los Angeles is varied. Here's a sample of what they are saying:

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Kiffin never really had a chance. Crippling NCAA sanctions were too much to overcome. The Trojans took only 56 scholarship plays to Saturday night's game at Arizona State, well short of the NCAA maximum of 65. It got so bad the Trojans had to play Robby Kolanz, who worked in the school's sports information office last year, at receiver.

Old Dominion Is Ready to Make the Move

Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin was in Norfolk, Va., on Saturday to see the hometown Old Dominion Monarchs take on the Albany Great Danes. The Monarchs rolled to a 66-10 victory.

Old Dominion is another program making the transition from Division I-AA to I-A. The Monarchs, a former member of the Colonial Athletic Association, will be granted full membership to Conference USA on July 1, 2014. The team is playing a mixed schedule of I-A and I-AA opponents this season.

There are more photos after the jump.

Columnists Corner

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times: USC's 62-41 loss to Arizona State means only one thing: Lane Kiffin's seat is now hotter than the pavement outside Sun Deveil Stadium.

Jeff Jacobs, Hartford Courant: Desperate times call for the rational measure: Connecticut must fire Paul Pasqualoni.

Jenni Carlson, Oklahoman: All kinds of things went wrong for Oklahoma State in its loss to West Virginia, but the blame for this debacle ultimately falls on the offense.

Tom Oates, Wisconsin State Journal: Move over Wisconsin. The Big Ten title appears destined to be passed to bigger, faster and stronger Ohio State.

John Canzano, Oregonian: What was most striking about another in the line of Oregon blowout victories wasn't the score, but that the athletic department is doing a wonderful job of parlaying its football success.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Oklahoma, in declaring its intentions of returning to the national stage, showed it has a quarterback and, perhaps, a defense.

Crystal Ball

A look at how prognosticators from around the country view the Week 5 games.

Jon WIlner, College Hotline: His Pacific 12 picks of the week. It has been a nice start for Washington State, but Stanford, which is 8-2 against the spread as an away favorite under David Shaw, is going to put the hammer down.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Not only did Hlastradamus hit his lock of the season, he finished last week with a 5-0 record. This week, he senses good things for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Double D, Boston Herald: OK, forget about that Michigan pick last week. Double D is on the comeback trail. He's also taking Wisconsin and the points.

Howie Kussoy, New York Post: Actual competition returns to college football, especially between the hedges, where Louisiana State is getting points against Georgia. He'll gladly accept the gift with LSU.

Bruce Feldman, CBS Sports.com: Feldman is coming off a shaky 10-9 week, but he's not shy. He's picking Notre Dame, LSU and Ohio State to win tight games.

Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports.com: Man vs. Woman vs. Machine. It's a huge game for Mississippi, which is getting a bundle of points at Alabama. No worry in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide roll.

Iowa Nice Guy's Week 4 Recap

North Dakota State had its moment in the spotlight, Brigham Young fans pelted an officiating crew with trash and an update on #banbugeaters from Scott Siepker.

Reporters Notebooks

Nick Baugardner, MLive.com: Since Brady Hoke took over the Michigan program in 2011 — a span of 30 games — the Wolverines have lost a whopping 61 turnovers.

Russell Levine, Pucks and Puzzle Pieces: A crappy effort by Michigan against Connecticut cannot dent his joy in having shared the experience with his autistic son.

Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times: Sports Illustrated's Oklahoma State series shows why sportswriters can't be fans.

Zack Tegler, New York Times: An interesting read on what it's like to be a member of the Nebraska marching band on game day.

Chris Dufrense, Los Angeles Times: Stanford's David Carr might have learned a painful lesson on Saturday. Never turn an impressive victory into a mess.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State did not receive a point in voting for the Associated Press or USA Today coaches poll. It's the first shutout for the Broncos since Oct. 16, 2005.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: The Hlist. Favorites in the 57 Division I-A games last weekend won all but two of them. The favorites covered the spread in 36 of the 57 games.