ESPN College Football

The biggest call of the weekend came from maybe the best coach in the nation.

With No. 1 Oklahoma facing a 4th-and-10 situation on its own 31-yard line and leading Alabama just 13-10, Sooners coach Bob Stoops called for a fake punt that ended up gaining 22 yards. Oklahoma then put an exclamation point on its terrific play-calling by going for the jugular, scoring on a deep pass on the very next play against a Crimson Tide defense that was expecting to be on the sideline.

I can promise you that most coaches would not have had the guts to call for a fake in a game like that. If it backfires, you could not only lose the game but also a shot at the national championship. A punt would have put the Oklahoma defense in good position to force a three-and-out by the Tide, but a failed fake would have put Alabama in position to tie the game with a field goal.

But that is what separates Stoops from other coaches: he play to win rather than to avoid losses. It could be argued that he made that call because he had faith that his defense would keep the Tide out of the end zone, but the fact is 'Bama still would have been in a position to get points.

Should OU end up in the Sugar Bowl the fake punt probably won't be remembered all that much, but it is precisely the kind of call that could get them there in the first place.

Kansas State getting fat on cupcakes
Could someone please tell me what in the world Kansas State is doing playing two Division I-AA teams this year? The Wildcats' schedule is always a source of discussion, but this is embarrassing. Not only are they playing two teams not even in Division I-A, but none of the other three are top-25 quality programs.

Maybe we shouldn't complain if KSU fans are happy paying to see whippings of McNeese State, UMass and Troy State. But if that is the case, Kansas State has no right to complain about how screwed up the BCS system is when it goes 11-1 and ends up behind four or five other one-loss teams in the final BCS rankings.

I don't know if the scheduling at K-State is the responsibility of the athletic director or the head coach, but someone needs to step up and take a look at this.

When Bill Snyder arrived on the scene Kansas State was the worst program in the country, and even I would have voted for this kind of non-conference slate in order to bring any kind of success back to Manhattan. But the Wildcats started this season ranked No. 5 in the nation and have some of the best players in the country, so there is no reason to fill the schedule with five teams with little or no shot at the top 25.

If the folks in Manhattan want to see a manly schedule, all they have to do is take a look at what Big 12 North brother Colorado is doing. Gary Barnett's team will have faced Colorado State, UCLA, Washington State and Florida State by the time it starts conference play, which look a lot better than McNeese State and UMass.

Gators QB carousel spinning
Another decision bound to create debate is whether Ron Zook should have used three quarterbacks in a 38-33 loss to Miami. Ingle Martin started the game but was sidelined by a concussion early in the second half, making true freshman Chris Leak the main main and allowing redshirt freshman Gavin Dickey to get some snaps as well.

You have to wonder whether it was wise to go to Dickey -- who had not yet taken a snap in the game -- late in the fourth quarter when Florida had a chance to pad a one-point lead, and I'm sure Zook will face some criticism for that move.

But being a coach rather than a fan, I'll tell you why it was a good move: Dickey is an excellent running quarterback and Florida was able to utilize a shotgun-option attack that Miami had not seen to that point. The Gators caught the 'Canes of guard and were able to get a couple of quick first downs, but Florida is not an option team and once Miami figured out the limited number of plays Florida has in that set, things turned around.

The concussion took Martin out of the game altogether, but he was sharing time with Leak even in the first quarter, and why Martin didn't get all the snaps before his injury will be another arguing point for Florida fans. Personally, I would not have put Leak in the game on a predetermined rotation but rather waited until the hot hand cooled off.

The problem is, the Gators don't have a veteran with average talent and a rookie sensation. They have two inexperienced quarterbacks who both need to be ready. If Leak doesn't get some reps in every game, Florida would have little chance of survival if Martin went down for good.

The point is, Zook would have been called a genius if the Gators had won the game, just like Bob Stoops would have been criticized big-time if his fake punt had come back to bite him.

Slapping wrists in Pittsburgh
Hey Pittsburgh, if you are going to punish your starting quarterback for off-field transgressions, bench him for the entire game or let him start and find some other way to punish him. Having Rod Rutherford sit out the first quarter and then bringing him back with the Panthers down 3-0 to Kent State is not the type of punishment that is going to make a young man learn a lesson.

Now, I don't know how serious the situation is or was, but I have a hard time believing the coaches take his off-field antics all that seriously when he is given such a meaningless punishment. If the things weren't very serious, I would rather have him running the stadium steps for three mornings in a row and starting the game. But saying he did something serious and then putting him in the game when you need him sends the wrong kind of message.

Buffs need the basics
Congratulations on your 2-0 start, Gary Barnett. It's gotta feel good to get out quickly against probably the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, but please get back to the power running game that has been a Colorado staple for so long. I know redshirt freshman quarterback Joel Klatt can wing the ball, but I cannot picture a CU team team that doesn't ram it down people's throats any more than I can picture Barry Alvarez's Wisconsin teams in the no-huddle, spread offense.

With Bobby Purify and Brian Calhoun in the backfield, I want to see 250 rushing yards every game. Plenty of teams out there are winning that way. Then again, that's why I'm in the studio and you're 2-0.

And finally...
To new coach Mike Hoskins of Division III Rockford College (Ill.): What in the world are you doing beating Trinity Bible College (N.D.) by a D-III record score of 105-0? I know it's the job of the defense to hold the score down, but that is inexcusable. No one deserves to be humiliated like that, especially a bunch of guys at a Bible college. At least we know they're praying for your forgiveness.