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Mike Tisdale hit two free throws to force overtime then scored the first six points of the extra period as Illinois came back to beat Kent State 69-63 Friday night at the South Padre Island Invitationa

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Now that we are mid-way through November’s college football games, here’s a look at which teams have enough wins to be eligible to play in a bowl game this season.

Bowl Eligible Teams through 11-8-2008

ACC - 8 teams eligible
FSU, Wake Forest, Maryland, Boston College, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech

Big 12 - 7 teams eligible
Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Big East - 5 teams eligible
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Connecticut, West Virginia, South Florida

Big 10 -6 teams eligible
Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Iowa

Conference USA - 3 teams eligible
East Carolina, Tulsa, Rice

Independents - 1 team eligible
Navy

MAC - 3 teams eligible
Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan

MWC - 4 teams eligible
BYU, Utah, TCU, Air Force

Pac10 - 5 teams eligible
USC, Arizona, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State

SEC - 6 teams eligible
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, LSU

Sun Belt - 1 team eligible
Troy

WAC - 2 teams eligible
Boise State, San Jose State

For a complete list of bowl game matchups by conference, dates, times, and television coverage, check our 2008 bowl game schedule.

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Amid rumors that theUniversity of Tennessee is about to swoop in and sign Tarheels coach Butch Davis to a long-term deal, came this interesting non-denial from the Butchster himself.

“The long and short of it is, the administration and I are completely and firmly committed to building a championship football program at North Carolina,” he told reporters a week ago. “My family and I are very happy in Chapel Hill.”

Just my two cents: You can go ahead and add the words “today” and “for now” to the end of each sentence.

Davis’s comments haven’t gone unnoticed in ACC country, either.

J.P. Giglio from theNews & Observer saysDavis’s future is “brighter than Tennessee” and runs down the potential moves for Butch, who can almost write his own ticket for any opening in the country.

Let’s be clear, Davis can coach. UNC was one of the 10 worst programs in the BCS era before Davis arrived. In less than two seasons, Davis has the Heels 7-2 and ranked in the top 20.

…

With Davis’ original intent in mind, there are few jobs he would leave UNC for. Save for Florida, and that would be awkward given his Miami background - although not impossible based on Rick Pitino’s precedent in college basketball - there likely isn’t a job in the SEC that Davis would take.

That leaves, in order:

1) University of Texas

Texas Tech, Missouri and Kansas have all made noise in the past two seasons but the Big 12 is essentially the Big 2 - Texas and Oklahoma.

Given Davis’ past at Oklahoma State, I’m going to rule out Oklahoma - which also fired Davis’ right-hand man, John Blake, so I don’t think the two would be eager to run to Norman.

Davis recruiting at Texas is a frightening proposition. The 2001 Miami team, that won the national title the year after Davis left, was, from No. 1 through No. 85, the most-talented team in the history of the game.

He could give that roster a run for its money with Texas’ recruiting resources and rich talent base.

Of course, Mack Brown is the coach at Texas. But Brown, after 11 seasons and a national title in Austin, could take another job or leave coaching to get an AD or commissioner job.

The pressure would be greater to deliver at Texas than at Chapel Hill, but Brown handled the transition and so could Davis.

2) Dallas Cowboys
…

3) Penn State

It’s a longshot but it would at least be worth a conversation. Like the ACC, the Big Ten is ripe for domination. There’s Ohio State and not exactly.

On the verge of another Big Ten title, Joe Paterno has reconfirmed that his successor will be his call and Davis won’t be his choice.

But replacing a legend never works - like Frank Solich, like Ray Perkins - so the PSU search committee would have to cast a wider net in 2010.

Interestingly enough, Paterno almost took the Miami job when Davis was ultimately hired in 1995.

4) USC

Talk about owning a conference, please, Carroll owns everything west of Austin.

Los Angeles might be a little out of Davis’ comfort zone, but it’s an unbelievable recruiting base and you’re guaranteed an annual crack at the national title.

Plus, at USC, there’s no NFL team in LA and no one really cares about the basketball program.

I know what you’re thinking… why in the world would Texas ever hire a Tarheels football coach? Oh… wait.

I’m just being honest here when I say that I can’t think of too many people other than Butch Davis who could even step into Mack Brown’s shoes at Texas. Can you?

And — despite the prominent shadow — I don’t think its much of a stretch to see Davis taking over for JoPa. The field of really strong, viable candidates has definitely dwindled. (You don’t hear Greg Schiano’s name much these days, do ya?)

Could Davis take over at Notre Dame? I think Davis could coach circles around Charlie Weis. And he already has, now that I think about it. Think the Irish faithful want some Butch? You betchya!

What do yall think? Butch in 2009 - Carolina Blue or something new?

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Several members of the 2009 football recruiting class were recognized by the Detroit Free Press recently for their outstanding performances this past season. Find out inside who was recognized and what kind of production they had their senior season

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Nate Kmic is the Division III leader in career yards rushing after he gained 235 yards in Mount Union’s 42-7 win over Hobart in the second round of the playoffs.

Two Florida State freshman wide receivers have been arrested on misdemeanor battery charges stemming from a fight in the student union two weeks ago.

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Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

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Now that we are well into the midst of the conference schedules, it’s time to take an updated look at Jeff’s Sagarin’s Conference ratings.

The following are updated through October 27, 2008:

1 BIG 12 (78.18)
2 BIG TEN (77.24)
3 ATLANTIC COAST (76.97)
4 SOUTHEASTERN (76.54)
5 PAC-10 (74.33)
6 BIG EAST (73.44)
7 MOUNTAIN WEST (70.27)
8 I-A INDEPENDENTS (67.33)
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (65.57)
10 MID-AMERICAN (65.18)
11 CONFERENCE USA (63.31)
12 SUN BELT (61.11)

A find a couple facets of the current rankings rather fascinating:

- The SEC is the fourth best conference, top-to-bottom? Seriously? The SEC is 20-7 out-of-conference against DI-A teams this year. Granted, three of those seven losses are to the ACC, but… the ACC returned the favor in losing three to the SEC. Sagarin has three SEC teams in his top ten, but the ACC gets the slight nod when you contrast the middle and bottom of each conference, which makes sense when you consider that there are… like… forty-seven teams tied for first in the ACC.

- Is another non-BCS blowout in the offing? Cinderella teams from the WAC (Boise State), Mountain West (Utah, TCU), MAC (Ball State), and C-USA (Tulsa) are all looking to qualify into a BCS bowl this year. Sagarin’s ratings would seem to indicate that their resumes might be lacking if and when they get to the big stage.

- The BCS conferences are head-and-shoulders above the non-BCS conferences. The separation between the Big East and Mountain West is statically significant, and I don’t think we’ve seen any rankings that dispute that designation in the last four years.

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As the recruiting season begins to get into full swing, the Colorado State Rams’ chances with Irvine, Calif. offensive lineman may be dwindling. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound lineman from Irvine High has nine scholarship offers and has set visits or will set visits to five colleges - all from Bowl Championship Series schools.

Colorado University got a big commit out of the state of Texas on Tuesday in the form of Nate Bonsu. At 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, the three-star defensive tackle is big in more ways than one. Though Bonsu fell in love with Boulder, Colo. and the campus, he took his time in making sure it was the right decision

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Considering they play on opposite coasts of the country, it isn’t often Ohio State and Oregon take a major interest in each other’s game. That changed earlier in the year when OSU played Pac-10 front-runner USC and it will happen again Saturday when Jeremiah Johnson and Ducks face Oregon State in the Civil War

Even if he struggled some his senior year, Austin Starr’s place in IU history is cemented. Starr is moving on after a senior year, which he struggled some during, but he still has plans for the NFL. If that doesn’t look, he can take an academic route as well

Watch 2010 offensive guard prospect John McLendon pave the way in this Rivals.com Spotlight Video. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder from Pearl, Miss., is already receiving interest from Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss

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After retaining the firm of Carr Sports Associates, it appears that the search for the next Clemson head football coach will begin in earnest, but — given the potential candidate list — it does not appear that an announcement will be made until after the regular season.

Interim head coach Dabo Swinney is set to get an interview with Tigers AD Terry Don Phillips, however, there is pressure mounting on Phillips to make a substantial hire. Despite his popularity with the Clemson players, Swinney would not be a substantial hire for CU.

One name that is getting attention is long-time Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Foster, who has coached for 22 seasons for the Hokies, is considered a good recruiter who is well connected. He’s an intense and sometimes demonstrative coach, which would be a marked contrast with former Tigers head coach Tommy Bowden. Foster has seen the blueprint for building & maintaining a championship-caliber program. Expect Foster to be one of the names on the short list at Clemson.

Another name that has been surfaced in nearly every existing and potential coaching search is that of Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach. Leach’s value may never be higher thanks to his team’s performance this year. The Red Raiders are a potential BCS team this season, thanks to Leach’s decision to re-mix his power offense into a more balanced run-and-shoot spread. Leach is Leach… and that means an infinitely different tone than Bowden. An interesting twist in the Mike Leach angle? Leach was denied a contract extension in the off-season, as the administration asked him to wait until after the season. Too bad for Tech - the price tag is likely to be hefty. It’s yet to be seen if that perceived snub has put a splinter into the otherwise cozy relationship in Lubbock. There’s no question that he could recruit at Clemson and would likely bring instant excitement back into the Tigers program. The job might be his for the taking and Clemson will seek to interview Mike Leach.

The top candidate for the job right now may be Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp has been successfully everywhere he has ever gone. Considered one of the very best assistant coaches in the country, Muschamp is an outstanding recruiter and would bring a never-before-seen level of intensity to Clemson. The only downside (at all) to Muschamp is that he is likely to be a top candidate at Auburn, if Tommy Tuberville is fired, which could mean a very hefty salary. That shouldn’t scare Clemson away, but it could end up going hiring than the $2.5 million that the Tigers had been prepared to offer their next coach.

More names that are on the list at Clemson? East Carolina’s Skip Holtz, Tulsa’s Todd Graham, Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson and TCU’s Gary Patterson… not necessarily in that order.

And for a dark horse sleeper candidates? Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, Ball State’s Brady Hoke, and Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville.

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Over the course of every season, there is usually one particular play that stands out in the minds of players, coaches and fans alike. Oftentimes, that particular play had a great deal to do with the overall direction the season had taken. Rutgers has had some key plays during its dramatic turnaround, however none may be bigger than Zaire Kitchen’s game-changing play that came against Pittsburgh

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This, the final installment of this series, considers the ultimate BCS busting scenarios. While a team being accepted be a BCS league’s expansion plans have been discussed ad nauseum, what would it actually take for an entire conference to make the jump and garner BCS automatic qualifier status? Obviously I am talking about the MWC here.

The BCS has given a glimpse of their athematical[sic] system for determining the BCS eligibility.

The conferences have developed athematical standards of performance which be applied to determine the number of conferences whose champions will automatically qualify for a BCS game after the 2008 and 2009 regular seasons. The champions of no fewer than five conferences and no more than seven conferences will have annual automatic berths.

The standards will be based on results from the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 regular seasons, using institutions that are members of the conferences during the 2007 season.

The data will include the following for each conference (1) the ranking of the highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings each year, (2) the final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings used by the BCS each year and (3) the number of teams in the top 25 of the final BCS standings each year.

The standards will not prohibit the champion of any conference that has contracted with a bowl from playing in one of the participating BCS bowls. For example, the Big Ten and Pac-10 champions will, by contract, play in the Rose Bowl every year unless one or both qualifies for the National Championship Game.

Let us assume that this review is repeated every year, using a 4 year window and requiring a team to play in a conference one year before their numbers benefit the new conference. It is important to note only 5 conferences have a contract with a BCS Bowl, the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 10 and SEC. This excludes the Big East.

The final standings in all of the BCS computer rankings for these years are not all available and knowledge of how this would be used is not known anyways. I will focus on the other two categories. Being generous, I will compare each conference’s performance to the worst contracted conference each of the four years.

Top Team
To find this number I added the rank of the top team from each conference each year and subtracted this from 41, the sum of the lowest contracted conference leader each year. The leader may not have been the champion, which would raise these values accordingly.

PAC 10 +27
Big 12 +26
SEC +25
Big 10 +21
ACC +9
Big East +5
MWC -16

This clearly favors the current alignment. The MWC was 6 ahead of the minimum team in 2004 and will need to make that up as well to catch up this year. To catch the minimum BCS contracted conference the MWC would need to need to be ranked 22 spots higher than the lowest BCS contracted champion this year, likely to be the ACC. This is not likely to happen this year.

The Big East losses 2 spots it had in 2004, so would need to be within 3 of the lowest BCS contracted conference to keep up this year.

Top Team
To find this number I took the total number of top 25 teams and subtracted the sum of the minimum of the BCS contracted conferences for each year, 11.

SEC +8
Big 12 +5
Big 10 +5
ACC +5
PAC 10 +1
Big East EVEN
MWC -7

Again this clearly favors the current alignment. The MWC will gain 2 from the 2004 data but would still need 5 more teams in the top 25 than the lowest BCS contracted conference. This can not happen this year.

The Big East gains one from the loss of 2004 so it can actually afford to lose a ranked team on the minimum BCS contracted conference this year.

Next Year
Despite the astonishing performance, it would appear the MWC has no real hope of gaining an AQ after this year, what would it take to gain one after next year?

This year they would need to gain 22 points on the bottom ranked BCS contracted conference. They will gain another 5 simply by removing 2005 from the window. Between this year and next year they need to gain a total of 17 points. While not impossible, this is a very high bar to hit. They are in good position this year to gain 10 or so of those, but would need another 5 or so next year. Two years like this one is a tall order.

For the number of ranked teams they needed to gain 5 this year. They lose 2 of these next year due to the loss of the 2005 data, needing a total of 3. They are likely to have 2 with the ACC struggling to get 1 for a gain of 1 this year. Maybe the MWC could get a third team in the top 25 for a gain of 2, but would still need another next year. Again they would need two years like this one to get in. Again this is a tall order.

I will concede that it should be a tall order to gain BCS AQ status, but it is obvious to me that performance on the field alone will not get the MWC into the BCS club.

Expansion
What if the MWC used some of its likely BCS money to buy out the exit clauses for teams to pad their numbers? Boise State and Hawaii give the largest immediate boost to these numbers, but one has to questino Hawaii’s future potential. Fresno State gives lower numbers but more stable results. Tulsa has to be the lead candidate for a third member, especially if they crawl into the top 25. Their performance exceeds that of Houston. What good is a large TV market if no one from that market cares about that team? Isn’t that how the MWC got SDSU?

This expansion would need to be started next year so these teams are counted for the following year.

This expanded conference is behind the BCS minimum by only 4 ranking points going into this year. They would have to overcome the 6 points they had in 2004, but get back 5 of those when they lose 2005. Between this year and next year they would need to gain 5 ranking spots on the minimum BCS contracted conference. This year could even give them breathing room lead into next year.

This expansion would have left the conference behind by 4 ranked teams going into this year. Would would gain 1 after 2004 rolls over and 2 more when 2005 rolls over. This requires a gain of 1 either this year or next year. This expanded conference could gain 3 this year leaving an excess of 2 to give them breathing room next year.

Conclusion
Expansion alone can not get the MWC into the BCS, nor can this years performance, even if it is repeated next year. Taken together, it appears the MWC could have a chance for BCS AQ status as early as 2010.

The Big East is in little danger of losing its status by this measure, thanks in large part to the synchronous sinking of the ACC.

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For those of you scoring at home, make note of Sunday, September 28, 2008.

That is the day that the Oklahoma Sooners became the undisputed king of the Associated Press college football poll.

This week’s #1 ranking marks the 96th time that OU has been ranked #1 by the AP, breaking a previous tie with Notre Dame at 95 weeks.

ALL TIME AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL #1 RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma (96 weeks)
2. Notre Dame (95 weeks)
3. Ohio State (93 weeks)
4. USC (90 weeks)
5. Nebraska (70)
6. Miami (68)
7. Florida State (59)
8. Texas (42)
9. Michigan (34)
10. Alabama (31)

Also notable, the Sooners have been ranked in 666 of the 976 AP football polls since 1936, or 68.2% of the published polls all-time.

As per SoonerSports.com, here’s a rundown of Oklahoma’s notable appearances in the AP college football top 25:

Weeks Ranked No. 1: 96 - No. 1 Nationally Weeks Ranked in Top 2: 192 - No. 1 Nationally Weeks Ranked in Top 5: 358 - No. 1 Nationally Weeks Ranked in Top 10: 494 Years Ranked in Preseason Poll: 50 (of 58 polls - preseason poll began in 1950) Years Ranked in Final Poll: 49 (of 72 polls) - No. 3 Nationally Average Rank in Final Poll: 7.39 (No. 1 Nationally) Years Ranked No. 1 in Final Poll: 7 (last in 2000, first in 1950) - No. 2 Nationally

A full list of Oklahoma’s college football rankings in the AP poll is online at SoonerSports.com.

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Is Charlie Weis safe as the head football coach at Notre Dame because of the size of his contract buyout? The Chicago Tribune cited sources Wednesday who dispute that.

The Detroit PSL is one of the most talent rich leagues in the state. Detroit Southeastern has been one of the premier football programs in that league for a few years now. Recently, coach Donshell English and a few of his top players made the trip to Mount Pleasant to see the Chippewas in action. Find out inside what they had to sa

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Colorado University got a big commit out of the state of Texas on Tuesday in the form of Nate Bonsu. At 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, the three-star defensive tackle is big in more ways than one. Though Bonsu fell in love with Boulder, Colo. and the campus, he took his time in making sure it was the right decision