Saturday Observations: Week 8

Can we start contracting teams? The Se?ior is going to launch a petition to take away the accreditation of Washington State, a team so bad they couldn't stop Rue McClanahan if they put eight in the box. The Cougars went into Saturday's "game" with USC ranked 93rd or worse nationally in 14 different statistical categories and proceeded to get bent over the Trojans' collective knee and spanked to the tune of 69-0. USC racked up 10 touchdowns, 32 first downs to Wazzu's four and 621 yards to the Cougars' 114. Bad losses happen, but consider this a sign that Paul Wulff, who somehow got this job after a mediocre run at Eastern Washington, is now on the shortest leash of any first-year coach in recent memory after performing worse than the stock market. But at least if you're a Washington fan you know things can, in fact, get worse. * A number of one-loss teams made statements with a re-energized Georgia dropping Vanderbilt 24-14 and USC thumping Washington State, but the biggest statement may have came courtesy of Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State. The Buckeyes completely dominated Michigan State on the road 45-7 and finally broke out on offense with Pryor throwing for 116 yards and a TD and running for 72 yards and another score, while Chris "Beanie" Wells had 140 yards and two TDs -- oh, and the Spartans' Javon Ringer was held to 66 yards and kept out of the end zone. This may have been OSU's breakout game. * Wisconsin is officially dead and buried. The Badgers' free fall continued with a 38-10 loss to Iowa that drops UW to 3-4 overall and an amazing 0-4 in the Big Ten. The last two weeks, in losses to Penn State and now the Hawkeyes, the Badgers have been outscored 86-23. Who would have believed they'd go from No. 8 and a national title contender to wondering if they'll even make a bowl game? * North Carolina, you may have lost 16-13 to Virginia in overtime in Charlottesville, but the opposing fans rushed the field after beating you. Yes, opposing fans rushed the field after beating the Tar Heels. A loss hurts, but consider it a compliment. * I have no idea to expect from Penn State-Ohio State. Next weekend's Big Ten showdown has the potential of being this season's Lindsay Lohan game. You know, tons of potential on the surface, then you really get into it and find out it's a lesbian. One week, the Buckeyes can barely produce anything amounting to offense and the next week they look like Texas Tech. Penn State has now struggled against Purdue and for a half against Michigan. Granted, PSU pulled away, but there seems to be a fire missing in this team at times. Can we really expect both teams' equivalent of Mean Girls' era Lindsay? We can only hope. Plus, I'd pay to see Joe Paterno on the sideline wearing this. * LeSean McCoy is officially back in the Heisman hunt. The Pitt running back had 156 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers' win over Navy. He now has 10 100-yard games and four three-TD games in his career and in his last four games he has 447 yards and five touchdowns. Considering the Big East is less than stellar, he's heating up at the right time. * Oklahoma bounced back in style. All Sam Bradford did was go out and threw for a Sooners record 468 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Kansas. It's a shame Oklahoma and Texas are in the same division, I think that's the Big 12 title game everybody would pay to see. Maybe Big 12 commish Dan Beebe should use his executive powers to move the Sooners to the North for the rest of the season. He has those kind of powers, doesn't he? * Did somebody actually think Lou Holtz was a Communist sympathizer for saying "Ya know, Hitler was a great leader, too" in talking about Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez's not so great start? So why did the guy have to apologize? Sure, Hitler was Satan on Earth, but the guy did have millions of followers. It's not like Dr. Lou was wearing a swastika on his arm or anything. He shouldn't have apologized and if ESPN has an issue with it, they shouldn't have given him that ridiculous Dr. Lou segment in the first place. *Watching what Texas did to Missouri, I couldn't help but think of the Tigers filling the role of Ned Beatty to the Longhorns' rednecks in Deliverance. This was just embarrassing for Mizzou and it makes you wonder: is No. 1 Texas really that much better than the No. 11 team in the nation or were the Tigers just that overrated? Can I pick both? Really, the Tigers weren't' that team that everybody thought would vie for the national title. They still don't play defense and when they play a team whose linebackers can take away the tight ends (granted, Chase Coffman had 140 yards and a TD but it was mostly in garbage time). But don't let any knocks against Mizzou discount how great Colt McCoy was (29 of 32 passing for 334 yards and a score and he ran 11 times for 23 yards and two more TDs). Insane. All I know is if I'm anybody else in the country (except for maybe USC), I want no part of Texas right now.