College Sports 101

• 1. Connecticut (31) 11-0 775
• 2. North Carolina 13-0 743
• 3. Texas A&M 10-0 704
• 4. Texas 11-0 677
• 5. Oklahoma 9-2 642
• 6. Notre Dame 10-1 588
• 7. Baylor 11-1 584
• 8. Stanford 9-3 506
• 9. California 9-2 490
• 10. Auburn 13-0 483
• 11. Duke 10-1 481
• 12. Tennessee 9-2 445
• 13. Louisville 12-1 442
• 14. Rutgers 8-2 378
• 15. Virginia 11-2 333
• 16. Maryland 10-2 319
• 17. Ohio State 10-2 288
• 18. Kansas State 11-0 249
• 19. Vanderbilt 11-2 206
• 20. Florida 12-1 187
• 21. South Dakota State 13-1 165
• 22. Pittsburgh 9-2 126
• 23. Oklahoma State 9-2 79
• 24. Georgia Tech 10-2 52
• 25. New Mexico 11-1 25

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Wake Forest 20, Arizona State 17, Iowa State 10, DePaul 8, TCU 8, Xavier 8, Marist 7, Houston 6, Gonzaga 5, Wisconsin 5, Purdue 3, UCLA 3, Florida State 2, Georgia 2, South Alabama 2, Mississippi State 1, South Florida 1,

• 1. Connecticut (45) 11-0 1125
• 2. North Carolina 13-0 1078
• 3. Texas A&M 10-0 1002
• 4. Texas 11-0 976
• 5. Oklahoma 9-2 947
• 6. Duke 10-1 864
• 7. Baylor 11-1 823
• 8. Tennessee 9-2 779
• 9. Auburn 12-0 741
• 10. Louisville 11-1 729
• 11. Stanford 9-3 701
• 12. Notre Dame 10-1 607
• 13. California 8-2 599
• 14. Maryland 9-2 543
• 15. Rutgers 7-2 538
• 16. Virginia 10-2 427
• 17. Ohio State 10-2 401
• 18. Florida 11-1 349
• 19. Pittsburgh 9-2 300
• 20. Vanderbilt 11-2 236
• 21. Oklahoma State 9-2 212
• 22. Kansas State 11-0 200
• 23. Georgia Tech 10-2 159
• 24. South Dakota State 12-1 146
• 25. New Mexico 11-1 31

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

TCU 28, Marist 18, DePaul 14, Oregon State 11, Purdue 11, Wisconsin 10, South Florida 6, Wake Forest 6, Mississippi State 3, Nebraska 2, UCLA 2, St. John's 1, Arizona State 0,

• 1. North Carolina (31) 12-0 775
• 2. Connecticut 11-0 737
• 3. Pittsburgh 12-0 715
• 4. Oklahoma 12-0 683
• 5. Duke 10-1 651
• 6. Wake Forest 11-0 598
• 7. Texas 10-2 531
• 8. Georgetown 9-1 510
• 9. UCLA 10-2 496
• 10. Notre Dame 9-2 453
• 11. Purdue 11-2 398
• 11. Syracuse 12-1 398
• 13. Villanova 11-1 351
• 14. Arizona State 10-1 346
• 15. Michigan State 9-2 308
• 16. Clemson 12-0 293
• 17. Gonzaga 8-3 285
• 18. Louisville 8-2 223
• 18. Tennessee 8-2 223
• 20. Baylor 10-1 194
• 21. Minnesota 12-0 181
• 22. Xavier 9-2 169
• 23. Ohio State 9-1 158
• 24. Michigan 9-2 66
• 25. Marquette 11-2 55

Others Receiving Votes

Brigham Young 43, West Virginia 41, Butler 37, Memphis 33, Dayton 32, Saint Mary's 26, Davidson 12, Arizona 10, Missouri 9, Illinois 8, Illinois State 6, Stanford 6, Florida 5, LSU 4, Texas A&M 3, Florida State 2, Utah State 1.

• 1. North Carolina (72) 12-0 1,800
• 2. Connecticut 11-0 1,719
• 3. Pittsburgh 12-0 1,641
• 4. Oklahoma 12-0 1,600
• 5. Duke 10-1 1,511
• 6. Wake Forest 11-0 1,351
• 7. Notre Dame 9-2 1,231
• 8. Texas 10-2 1,193
• 9. Purdue 11-2 1,160
• 10. Michigan State 9-2 1,058
• 11. Georgetown 9-1 1,015
• 12. UCLA 10-2 991
• 13. Syracuse 12-1 863
• 14. Tennessee 8-2 854
• 15. Villanova 11-1 691
• 16. Gonzaga 8-3 608
• 17. Arizona State 10-1 602
• 18. Louisville 8-2 588
• 19. Baylor 10-1 580
• 20. Clemson 12-0 563
• 21. Minnesota 12-0 351
• 22. Xavier 9-2 327
• 23. Michigan 9-2 237
• 24. Ohio State 9-1 219
• 25. Butler 10-1 166

Others Receiving Votes

West Virginia 100, Marquette 79, Illinois 64, Davidson 50, Memphis 43, Saint Mary's 30, Texas A&M 21, Stanford 17, Brigham Young 13, Florida 12, Maryland 12, Dayton 11, Florida State 10, Arizona 7, Miami (FL) 6, Illinois State 2, Creighton 2, George Mason 1, Missouri 1.

The Rose Bowl is a meeting of two teams with stellar defenses. No. 5 USC takes on No. 6 Penn State. The Trojans gave up less than eight points per game this season. The Nittany Lions are also stingy on defense.

By JAYMES SONG
AP Sports Writer

HONOLULU (AP) -- Jimmy Clausen ended Notre Dame's long bowl drought - and Hawaii's bid for a fourth straight Hawaii Bowl victory - with a record-breaking passing night.

Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 401 yards passing and five touchdowns to lead the efficient Fighting Irish to their first postseason victory in 15 years, 49-21 over Hawaii on Wednesday night.

"I told the team that's the only thing I wanted (for Christmas). I just wanted to win a bowl game," Irish coach Charlie Weis said.

"I heard it a hundred times in the locker room after the game and they wanted to know what I was giving them for Christmas. I told them: 'a flight home.'"

Golden Tate had six catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns, also Notre Dame bowl records, including a 69-yarder that sparked a 28-point outburst to help the Irish (7-6) end their NCAA-record bowl losing steak at nine.

"I'm very happy for Notre Dame. This was a great step forward for us," Weis said. "It leads us into 2009 with a good taste in our mouth."

With Weis calling the plays from the coaches box for the first time because of knee problems that require him to walk with crutches, the Irish were unstoppable.

The offense scored at will. The blitzing defense shutdown Hawaii's run-and-shoot. And the special teams wasn't too shabby, either.

"The guys came out here on a mission," Clausen said.

Fighting Irish end NCAA-record 9-game bowl skid....

Number 12 Cincinnati meets 21st-ranked Virginia Tech New Year's Day in the Orange Bowl.

Two African-American head football coaches were hired this week. Ron English takes over at Eastern Michigan. Mike Haywood is the new coach at Miami University.

It's been a whirlwind year for Candace Parker.

She led Tennessee to a second straight national championship in women's basketball, was the first pick in the WNBA draft, took the league's MVP and rookie of the year awards, and helped the U.S. win a fourth-straight Olympic gold medal.

Now Parker, 22, has been selected female athlete of the year by members of The Associated Press.

"Wow, that's amazing," Parker said. "It's been a great year from so many standpoints. I haven't really had a chance to sit back and let it all sink in."

Her selection Tuesday ended a five-year run in which a golfer (Annika Sorenstam, then Lorena Ochoa) won the award -- the longest streak of any sport.

Parker's accomplishments weren't lost on Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.

"Talk about hitting all the high points of one's life. She enjoyed an incredible run of back-to-back national championships, Olympic gold and all of her individual accolades," the Hall of Famer said. "It was an exceptional year for an exceptional athlete and person."

Parker received 36 votes from members of The Associated Press, barely edging Ochoa, who had won the previous two years. Ochoa won seven times on the LPGA Tour, including her second major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and led the money list for the third consecutive season.

Ochoa finished one vote shy of becoming only the fourth three-time winner of the award. Rounding out the top five were gymnast Nastia Liukin, swimmer Dara Torres, and gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Parker adds AP award to Olympic gold, NCAA crown, WNBA MVP....

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama's Nick Saban is The Associated Press college football coach of the year.

This is the second time Saban has won the award. He also was coach of the year with LSU in 2003.

Saban easily outdistanced Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson in balloting by an AP media panel that votes in the weekly poll.

He received 32 votes, while Leach was second with nine. Whittingham received six votes and Johnson five. Seven other coaches also got votes.

Alabama's Saban AP Coach of the Year....

By MURRAY EVANS

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Sam Bradford is back in his comfort zone, hanging out with his Oklahoma teammates.

He is happiest when he's just "one of the guys," quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel said. That, however, is becoming harder to do.

The sophomore quarterback won another honor Monday when he was voted college football player of the year by The Associated Press. Bradford already captured the Davey O'Brien Award and Heisman Trophy.

Now he's home after a whirlwind trip to New York, and while he appreciates all the recognition there's a BCS title showdown with Florida waiting on Jan. 8. It's time to return to the routine again.

"It was just another day at practice, another huddle, another play," he said Monday.

In winning the AP award, Bradford beat out the same two quarterbacks he did for the Heisman - Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.

Bradford received 27 votes from the AP media panel that votes in the weekly poll. He was followed by McCoy with 17 votes. Tebow, who won the award last year, had 16 votes this time. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree had two votes.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford: AP Player of the Year....

• 1. Connecticut (45) 10-0 1125
• 2. North Carolina 12-0 1078
• 3. Texas A&M 10-0 1001
• 4. Texas 10-0 976
• 5. Oklahoma 9-2 946
• 6. Duke 9-1 856
• 7. Baylor 11-1 819
• 8. Tennessee 9-2 776
• 9. Auburn 12-0 732
• 10. Louisville 10-1 729
• 11. Stanford 8-3 707
• 12. Notre Dame 9-1 609
• 13. California 8-2 605
• 14. Maryland 9-2 541
• 15. Rutgers 7-2 538
• 16. Virginia 9-2 415
• 17. Ohio State 10-2 400
• 18. Florida 11-1 343
• 19. Pittsburgh 9-2 284
• 20. Vanderbilt 10-2 245
• 21. Oklahoma State 7-2 179
• 22. Kansas State 10-0 168
• 23. Georgia Tech 10-2 128
• 24. Arizona State 8-3 118
• 25. South Dakota State 12-1 112

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Wisconsin 85, TCU 33, New Mexico 26, Marist 16, DePaul 11, Purdue 7, Oregon State 5, Wake Forest 4, Mississippi State 2, Old Dominion 2, South Florida 2, San Diego State 1, Xavier 1,

• 1. North Carolina (31) 11-0 775
• 2. Connecticut 10-0 737
• 3. Pittsburgh 12-0 715
• 4. Oklahoma 11-0 683
• 5. Duke 10-1 651
• 6. Wake Forest 10-0 552
• 7. Gonzaga 8-2 499
• 8. Texas 9-2 486
• 9. Georgetown 8-1 476
• 10. UCLA 8-2 465
• 11. Notre Dame 8-2 398
• 12. Xavier 9-1 392
• 13. Ohio State 8-0 371
• 14. Syracuse 11-1 368
• 15. Purdue 9-2 341
• 16. Villanova 10-1 324
• 17. Arizona State 9-1 306
• 18. Michigan State 8-2 254
• 19. Louisville 7-2 231
• 20. Clemson 12-0 218
• 21. Tennessee 8-2 215
• 22. Baylor 9-1 163
• 23. Minnesota 10-0 78
• 24. Memphis 6-3 60
• 25. Marquette 9-2 58

Others Receiving Votes

Brigham Young 44, Davidson 39, Michigan 38, Missouri 28, Dayton 26, Butler 14, Saint Mary's 14, Miami (FL) 10, Kansas 10, Arizona 9, Wisconsin 9, West Virginia 5, Florida 4, Illinois State 3, LSU 3, Stanford 3.

• 1. North Carolina (71) 11-0 1,775
• 2. Connecticut 10-0 1,693
• 3. Pittsburgh 12-0 1,618
• 4. Oklahoma 11-0 1,580
• 5. Duke 10-1 1,486
• 6. Wake Forest 10-0 1,294
• 7. Gonzaga 8-2 1,154
• 8. Notre Dame 8-2 1,116
• 9. Texas 9-2 1,108
• 10. Purdue 9-2 1,083
• 11. Michigan State 8-2 907
• 12. Georgetown 8-1 880
• 13. UCLA 8-2 873
• 14. Xavier 9-1 861
• 15. Ohio State 8-0 766
• 16. Tennessee 8-2 758
• 17. Syracuse 11-1 742
• 18. Villanova 10-1 594
• 19. Louisville 7-2 521
• 20. Arizona State 9-1 477
• 21. Baylor 9-1 466
• 22. Clemson 12-0 462
• 23. Minnesota 10-0 198
• 24. Michigan 8-2 183
• 25. Missouri 9-1 71

Others Receiving Votes

Memphis 70, Marquette 69, Davidson 66, Butler 40, Dayton 25, Saint Mary's 25, Illinois 20, Brigham Young 18, Maryland 16, Texas A&M 11, Kansas 10, Florida 8, Florida State 8, Stanford 8, Miami (FL) 6, Wisconsin 5, UNLV 1, West Virginia 1, Western Kentucky 1, George Mason 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Davidson 22, Memphis 23, Marquette 24.

The former home of the Indianapolis Colts is now a pile of rubble. Crews imploded the RCA Dome just after 9:30 a.m. Saturday by setting off 800 charges to bring down the facility's upper floors in about 25 seconds.

NCAA President Myles Brand, upset by major college football's lack of progress in the hiring of African-American head coaches, tells the Associated Press that a civil rights lawsuit may be the only way universities will address this issue.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Reigning national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough has broken the career scoring record at North Carolina.

The 6-foot-9 senior needed nine points in the top-ranked Tar Heels' game against Evansville on Thursday night to pass Phil Ford for the record. He tied Ford on a jumper from the left wing with 14:05 left, then set the mark by banking in a turnaround shot with 7:41 left in the first half.

After the record-setting point, officials briefly stopped the game to allow Ford, coach Roy Williams and athletics director Dick Baddour to present Hansbrough with the game ball.

Ford finished his career in 1978 with 2,290 points.

Hansbrough sets Carolina's career scoring record....

By DAN SEWELL

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Police arrested Mississippi men's basketball coach Andy Kennedy early Thursday after a cab driver said the coach punched him while calling him "bin Laden" and other racial insults.

A pretrial hearing has been set for Jan. 16. Kennedy was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of assault, which would carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail for conviction.

Kennedy denied the allegations and his attorney, Mike Allen, entered a written plea of not guilty in Hamilton County Municipal Court on Thursday.

Kennedy, a former assistant and interim head coach at Cincinnati, was set to coach the Rebels against No. 9 Louisville in the SEC/Big East Invitational later Thursday.

"I regret this situation," Kennedy said in a statement released by Ole Miss. "The focus should be on the players and the game, not on me. I vehemently deny the charges levied against me, and am completely confident that I will be fully exonerated of all charges."

The complaint filed in Municipal Court alleges that Kennedy assaulted Mohamed Moctar Ould Jiddou and "punched victim with a closed fist while shouting racial slurs." Kennedy, 40, was arrested at 1:15 a.m., police documents show.

"I just don't think it passes the smell test," Allen said. He said Kennedy did not hit or slur anyone.

Mississippi's Andy Kennedy arrested in Cincinnati....

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Floyd Keith is tired of waiting for more black coaches to be hired to lead major college football programs and is hoping to make a federal case out of the issue.

After years of attempting to persuade university administrators into hiring minority football coaches, the executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators has started searching for a potential lawsuit.

Last week, the BCA opened a national telephone hotline that offers legal advice to coaches, a move that could eventually lead to a landmark case against universities under civil rights legislation.

"I think someone is going to get tired of listening to the excuses," Keith told The Associated Press. "We're giving them (the coaches) every opportunity, but we can't select the individuals. The individuals have to bring this forward. We are looking very strongly at every case, and we're taking it on an individual basis."

BCA may take its fight for black coaches to court....

Florida meets Oklahoma in the BCS title game. But the AP's Ralph Russo reports some other teams feel they were good enough to qualify for the big game.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno has a new three-year contract extension to go along with his new hip.

The Hall of Famer and winningest coach in major college football history has agreed to a new deal with the university, the athletic department said Tuesday in a statement.

The agreement will provide "for the opportunity of Coach Joe Paterno leading the football program through the 2011 season," the statement said. JoePa turns 82 on Sunday.

"It was also agreed that the parties might reevaluate their circumstances and alter the arrangement by either shortening or extending its length as necessary," the statement said.

JoePa agrees to extension at Penn St. through 2011....

• 1. Connecticut (45) 7-0 1125
• 2. North Carolina 10-0 1076
• 3. Stanford 7-1 1016
• 4. Texas A&M 9-0 963
• 5. Texas 9-0 928
• 6. Oklahoma 8-2 918
• 7. Baylor 9-1 797
• 8. Duke 6-1 732
• 9. Louisville 9-1 724
• 10. Auburn 10-0 701
• 11. Tennessee 7-2 687
• 12. California 8-2 621
• 13. Notre Dame 8-1 598
• 14. Rutgers 6-2 559
• 15. Maryland 8-2 537
• 16. Pittsburgh 7-1 479
• 17. Virginia 7-2 401
• 18. Ohio State 7-2 370
• 19. Vanderbilt 8-2 211
• 20. Florida 10-1 194
• 21. Arizona State 7-2 182
• 22. Oklahoma State 4-2 164
• 23. Kansas State 9-0 154
• 24. TCU 8-3 120
• 25. Georgia Tech 8-2 110

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

South Dakota State 73, Wisconsin 63, Old Dominion 37, Xavier 27, Marist 14, New Mexico 11, DePaul 10, Purdue 7, South Florida 6, Wake Forest 3, Florida State 3, Oregon State 2, Michigan 1, Mississippi State 1,

• 1. North Carolina (31) 9-0 775
• 2. Connecticut 8-0 737
• 3. Pittsburgh 10-0 713
• 4. Oklahoma 10-0 676
• 5. Texas 8-1 642
• 6. Duke 8-1 574
• 7. Gonzaga 7-1 552
• 7. Xavier 9-0 552
• 9. Louisville 6-1 467
• 10. Wake Forest 9-0 466
• 11. Syracuse 9-0 406
• 12. UCLA 6-2 369
• 13. Georgetown 7-1 358
• 14. Notre Dame 7-2 345
• 15. Villanova 10-1 313
• 16. Ohio State 6-0 275
• 17. Arizona State 8-1 272
• 18. Purdue 8-2 252
• 19. Tennessee 6-2 246
• 20. Davidson 8-1 194
• 21. Memphis 5-2 166
• 22. Michigan State 6-2 147
• 23. Marquette 8-1 130
• 24. Baylor 8-1 119
• 25. Clemson 10-0 65

Others Receiving Votes

Brigham Young 62, Miami (FL) 48, Michigan 31, Dayton 27, Butler 19, Arizona 15, Missouri 15, Wisconsin 14, Kansas 14, Saint Mary's 11, Illinois State 3, LSU 2, Florida 2, Maryland 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Kansas 23, Miami (FL) 25.

• 1. North Carolina (72) 9-0 1,800
• 2. Connecticut 8-0 1,715
• 3. Pittsburgh 10-0 1,646
• 4. Oklahoma 10-0 1,585
• 5. Texas 8-1 1,473
• 6. Duke 8-1 1,347
• 7. Xavier 9-0 1,233
• 8. Gonzaga 7-1 1,225
• 9. Louisville 6-1 1,176
• 10. Wake Forest 9-0 1,101
• 11. Syracuse 9-0 1,005
• 12. Notre Dame 7-2 992
• 13. Purdue 8-2 765
• 14. UCLA 6-2 756
• 15. Georgetown 7-1 750
• 16. Tennessee 6-2 683
• 17. Ohio State 6-0 576
• 18. Villanova 10-1 571
• 19. Michigan State 6-2 506
• 20. Arizona State 8-1 431
• 21. Baylor 8-1 420
• 22. Davidson 8-1 398
• 23. Memphis 5-2 350
• 24. Marquette 8-1 240
• 25. Clemson 10-0 196

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 132, Miami (FL) 64, Missouri 44, Brigham Young 37, Butler 23, Dayton 23, Florida State 21, LSU 21, Illinois 15, Kansas 15, Wisconsin 15, Maryland 10, Arizona 10, Florida 8, Northwestern 7, Texas A&M 6, Saint Mary's 3, Temple 2, Minnesota 2, Navy 1, West Virginia 1.

Ames, IA (Sports Network) - Gene Chizik is leaving his post as Iowa State's head football coach to take over at Auburn.

Chizik, who has a 5-19 record since taking over at Iowa State in 2007, will be introduced as the Tigers head coach on Monday at a 2 p.m. (et) news conference.

On Saturday, Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard initially confirmed Chizik's new position.

Chizik leaves Iowa State to take Auburn job....

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy Saturday night. He is only a sophomore.

NEW YORK -- Sam Bradford's biggest score: the Heisman Trophy.

Oklahoma's amazingly accurate and quick-thinking quarterback won the Heisman on Saturday night after guiding the highest-scoring team in major college football history to the national championship game.

A year after Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman, Bradford became the second and kept the Florida quarterback from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners.

Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow -- who received the most first-place votes -- was third with 1,575 points.

The only other time the margin between first and third was smaller was 2001, when Nebraska's Eric Crouch beat out Florida's Rex Grossman and Miami's Ken Dorsey.

Oklahoma quarterback Bradford wins Heisman....

WASHINGTON -- Taking aim at a BCS system he said "consistently misfires," a member of Congress planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would force college football to adopt a playoff to determine the national champion.

Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, didn't specify what sort of playoff he wants -- only that the BCS should go.

"In some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled, and at least one school was left out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany the title," Barton said in a statement released ahead of the bill's introduction. "Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy rages on."

He said the bill -- being co-sponsored by Reps. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat, and Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican -- "will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice."

The BCS was created in 1998 by the six most powerful conferences. Since then, the system has been tweaked to make it easier for teams from smaller conferences to qualify for the top games. The sites for the four BCS bowls -- the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta -- take turns hosting a championship game between the top two teams in the BCS standings, which are based on two human polls and six computer ratings.

This season, Florida (12-1) and Oklahoma (12-1) will meet in the BCS title game Jan. 8 in Miami.

Barton cited Southern California in 2003 and undefeated Auburn in 2004 as examples of worthy teams left out of the BCS national championship game.

Bill would force college football playoff....

NEW YORK -- Tim Tebow will go for two against a pair of talented quarterbacks from the Big 12 when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night.

Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Colt McCoy from Texas joined Tebow as Heisman finalists announced Wednesday.

Tebow, the rugged and multitalented junior from Florida, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman last year and is now trying to become the second player to win it twice.

Archie Griffin won the Heisman as a junior in 1974 for Ohio State and again in 1975.

Tebow's Gators will play Bradford and the Sooners in the BCS national championship

Tebow looks to become second two-time Heisman winner....

• 1. Connecticut (45) 6-0 1125
• 2. North Carolina 9-0 1076
• 3. Stanford 6-1 1010
• 4. Texas A&M 8-0 940
• 5. Oklahoma 6-2 878
• 6. Texas 8-0 846
• 7. Tennessee 6-1 844
• 8. Notre Dame 7-0 784
• 9. California 7-1 763
• 10. Baylor 7-1 721
• 11. Duke 6-1 685
• 12. Louisville 7-1 645
• 13. Auburn 10-0 637
• 14. Rutgers 3-2 526
• 15. Maryland 7-2 514
• 16. Pittsburgh 6-1 419
• 17. Virginia 7-2 380
• 18. Ohio State 7-2 365
• 19. TCU 8-2 317
• 20. Vanderbilt 8-2 202
• 21. Purdue 5-3 164
• 22. Arizona State 6-2 161
• 23. Florida 8-1 138
• 24. Oklahoma State 3-2 91
• 25. Kansas State 7-0 90

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Georgia Tech 79, Wisconsin 36, Old Dominion 29, South Dakota State 27, Xavier 27, New Mexico 18, Minnesota 14, Marist 13, Michigan State 13, Gonzaga 10, DePaul 9, Marquette 7, Bradley 4, Wake Forest 4, Wisconsin-Green Bay 4, Arkansas-Little Rock 2, St. Bonaventure 2, Utah 2, Cincinnati 1, Iowa State 1, Mississippi State 1, Richmond 1,

• 1. North Carolina (31) 8-0 775
• 2. Connecticut 8-0 734
• 3. Pittsburgh 9-0 715
• 4. Gonzaga 6-0 674
• 5. Oklahoma 8-0 632
• 6. Texas 6-1 601
• 7. Duke 8-1 551
• 8. Tennessee 6-1 465
• 9. Xavier 7-0 463
• 10. Louisville 4-1 446
• 11. Wake Forest 8-0 368
• 12. Villanova 8-0 362
• 13. Notre Dame 6-2 359
• 14. UCLA 5-2 349
• 15. Memphis 5-1 330
• 16. Syracuse 8-0 317
• 17. Purdue 6-2 293
• 18. Arizona State 7-1 254
• 19. Georgetown 5-1 246
• 20. Michigan State 5-2 190
• 21. Ohio State 5-0 173
• 22. Davidson 6-1 143
• 23. Kansas 7-1 136
• 24. Marquette 7-1 102
• 25. Miami (FL) 5-2 69

Others Receiving Votes

Baylor 65, Dayton 57, Wisconsin 43, Brigham Young 34, Clemson 29, Michigan 29, Butler 27, Florida 22, Saint Mary's 8, Missouri 5, Maryland 3, Minnesota 2, Washington State 2, West Virginia 1, Florida State 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Florida 21, Wisconsin 22.

• 1. North Carolina (72) 8-0 1,800
• 2. Connecticut 8-0 1,710
• 3. Pittsburgh 9-0 1,633
• 4. Gonzaga 6-0 1,574
• 5. Oklahoma 8-0 1,529
• 6. Texas 6-1 1,381
• 7. Duke 8-1 1,256
• 8. Tennessee 6-1 1,203
• 9. Louisville 4-1 1,080
• 10. Xavier 7-0 1,041
• 11. Wake Forest 8-0 957
• 12. Notre Dame 6-2 954
• 13. Syracuse 8-0 869
• 14. Purdue 6-2 718
• 15. Villanova 8-0 713
• 16. UCLA 5-2 705
• 17. Memphis 5-1 579
• 18. Michigan State 5-2 536
• 19. Georgetown 5-1 475
• 20. Arizona State 7-1 462
• 21. Ohio State 5-0 435
• 22. Baylor 7-1 351
• 23. Davidson 6-1 348
• 24. Marquette 7-1 222
• 25. Kansas 7-1 206

Others Receiving Votes

Dayton 155, Clemson 141, Michigan 119, Miami (FL) 63, Brigham Young 33, Florida 33, Missouri 22, LSU 21, Butler 15, Wisconsin 13, Illinois 11, Florida State 9, Saint Mary's 8, Maryland 7, Texas A&M 5, Northwestern 4, Minnesota 2, Utah 1, Houston 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Miami (FL) 21, Florida 23.

Florida is number one in the new AP Top 25 poll. The Gators beat previously top-ranked Alabama in the SEC title game. Oklahoma moved up to number two. The Gators and Sooners will play for the national championship.

• 1. Oklahoma 12-1
• 2. Florida 12-1
• 3. Texas 11-1
• 4. Alabama 12-1
• 5. USC 11-1
• 6. Utah 12-0
• 7. Texas Tech 11-1
• 8. Penn State 11-1
• 9. Boise State 12-0
• 10. Ohio State 10-2
• 11. TCU 10-2
• 12. Cincinnati 11-2
• 13. Oklahoma State 9-3
• 14. Georgia Tech 9-3
• 15. Georgia 9-3
• 16. BYU 10-2
• 17. Oregon 9-3
• 18. Michigan State 9-3
• 20. Pitt 9-3
• 21. Missouri 9-4
• 22. Ball State 12-1
• 23. Northwestern 9-3
• 24. Boston College 9-4
• 25. Mississippi 8-4

• 1. Oklahoma 12-1
• 2. Florida 12-1
• 3. Texas 11-1
• 4. Alabama 12-1
• 5. USC 11-1
• 6. Penn State 11-1
• 7. Utah 12-0
• 8. Texas Tech 11-1
• 9. Boise State 12-0
• 10. Ohio State 10-2
• 11. TCU 10-2
• 12. Oklahoma State 9-3
• 13. Cincinnati 11-2
• 14. Georgia Tech 9-3
• 15. Oregon 9-3
• 16. Georgia 9-3
• 17. Brigham Young 10-2
• 18. Mississippi 8-4
• 19. Pittsburgh 9-3
• 20. Michigan State 9-3
• 21. Virginia Tech 9-4
• 22. Northwestern 9-3
• 23. Missouri 9-4
• 24. Ball State 12-1
• 25. Oregon State 8-4

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa, Boston College, Florida State, East Carolina, West Virginia.

• 1. Oklahoma (31) 12-1 1,482
• 2. Florida (26) 12-1 1,481
• 3. Texas (4) 11-1 1,408
• 4. USC 11-1 1,309
• 4. Alabama 12-1 1,309
• 6. Penn State 11-1 1,193
• 7. Utah 12-0 1,134
• 8. Texas Tech 11-1 1,132
• 9. Boise State 12-0 1,034
• 10. Ohio State 10-2 1,004
• 11. TCU 10-2 877
• 12. Cincinnati 11-2 830
• 13. Oregon 9-3 747
• 14. Oklahoma State 9-3 722
• 15. Georgia Tech 9-3 690
• 16. Brigham Young 10-2 541
• 17. Georgia 9-3 537
• 18. Michigan State 9-3 466
• 19. Virginia Tech 9-4 337
• 20. Northwestern 9-3 334
• 21. Pittsburgh 9-3 316
• 22. Ball State 12-1 219
• 23. Missouri 9-4 218
• 24. Mississippi 8-4 160
• 25. Oregon State 8-4 131

Others Receiving Votes

Boston College 96, Iowa 40, Florida State 22, East Carolina 15, California 12, Kansas 10, North Carolina 6, Nebraska 5, Rice 3, Buffalo 3, Rutgers 2.

Dropped From Rankings

Boston College 20.

• 1. Florida (50) 12-1 1,602
• 2. Oklahoma (9) 12-1 1,540
• 3. Texas (6) 11-1 1,530
• 4. Alabama 12-1 1,410
• 5. USC 11-1 1,372
• 6. Penn State 11-1 1,259
• 7. Utah 12-0 1,225
• 8. Texas Tech 11-1 1,193
• 9. Boise State 12-0 1,101
• 10. Ohio State 10-2 1,069
• 11. TCU 10-2 921
• 12. Cincinnati 11-2 863
• 13. Oklahoma State 9-3 853
• 14. Georgia Tech 9-3 761
• 15. Oregon 9-3 710
• 16. Georgia 9-3 599
• 17. Brigham Young 10-2 477
• 18. Pittsburgh 9-3 428
• 19. Michigan State 9-3 423
• 20. Mississippi 8-4 389
• 21. Virginia Tech 9-4 318
• 22. Northwestern 9-3 262
• 23. Ball State 12-1 249
• 24. Oregon State 8-4 163
• 25. Missouri 9-4 150

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa 104, Boston College 95, FLORIDAST 13, East Carolina 12, West Virginia 12, California 8, Rice 6, Nebraska 5, Tulsa 2, Rutgers 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Boston College 18.

Fourth-ranked Oklahoma won the Big 12 championship Saturday night. The Sooners crushed Missouri, 62-21. Oklahoma is the first college team to reach 60 points in five straight games.

Tim Tebow threw three touchdown passes as second-ranked Florida beat number one Alabama, 31-20, in the SEC title game. It was Alabama's first loss of the season.

Navy won the annual game with Army Saturday, 34-0. Fans of both teams were enjoying the rivalry as the game approached.

When quarterback Tim Tebow leads No. 2 Florida against top-ranked Alabama Saturday in the SEC championship game, it will be the first time that the nation's two best teams will meet in a conference title game.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn has dismissed Tommy Tuberville after 10 years as coach of the Tigers. That word came Wednesday from The Birmingham News. There was no immediate confirmation from Auburn officials.

Tuberville was 85-40 in his decade with Auburn, including a 13-0 season in 2004 when the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation. But Auburn went 5-7 this year and was routed 36-0 by rival Alabama, currently ranked No. 1.

Report: Auburn fires Tuberville....

South Bend, IN (Sports Network) - Notre Dame finally put an end to the speculation surrounding Charlie Weis, saying the Fighting Irish football coach will be back for a fifth season in 2009.

Weis is under contract through the 2015 season, but the worst two-year run of any head coach in the storied history of the program led to questions as to whether he would continue.

The Irish just completed a 6-6 regular season with a stunning home loss to Syracuse followed by a rout at the hands of Southern California. The .500 mark came on the heels of last year's 3-9 debacle.

Weis will stay at Notre Dame....

ESPN.com news services

USC coach Pete Carroll says the NCAA can have a timeout from Saturday's crosstown rivalry game with UCLA. He just wants his players to wear their home colors.

Carroll said on Monday that the Trojans would wear their cardinal red home jerseys on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. That violates an NCAA rule that requires visiting teams to wear white, and the infraction could have cost him two timeouts, one per half.

The Pac-10's interpretation about the team wearing the wrong colored jersey is that they are only penalized one timeout at start of the game, not at start of each half. And, UCLA is going to call a time out immediately after USC is assessed that penalty at the start of the game to even it out as both coaches had talked about back at Pac-10 media day in July to restore tradition.

USC willing to give up timeouts to wear red at UCLA....

• 1. North Carolina (72) 7-0 1,800
• 2. Connecticut 6-0 1,723
• 3. Pittsburgh 7-0 1,592
• 4. Duke 7-0 1,526
• 5. Gonzaga 5-0 1,489
• 6. Oklahoma 6-0 1,437
• 7. Notre Dame 5-1 1,359
• 8. Texas 5-1 1,231
• 9. Purdue 5-1 1,086
• 10. Tennessee 5-1 1,016
• 11. Louisville 2-1 1,003
• 12. UCLA 4-1 966
• 13. Michigan State 4-1 946
• 14. Xavier 6-0 902
• 15. Wake Forest 6-0 736
• 16. Syracuse 6-0 668
• 17. Villanova 6-0 570
• 18. Memphis 4-1 526
• 19. Arizona State 5-1 401
• 20. Georgetown 4-1 388
• 21. Miami (FL) 4-1 309
• 22. Davidson 5-1 286
• 23. Florida 5-1 281
• 24. Baylor 6-1 272
• 25. Marquette 5-1 221

Others Receiving Votes
Kansas 186, Dayton 109, Wisconsin 100, Clemson 72, Ohio State 52, Florida State 28, Brigham Young 23, Michigan 18, LSU 16, Washington State 15, Illinois 12, UAB 8, Texas A&M 6, Butler 6, Missouri 6, Saint Mary's 5, USC 2, Navy 1, Nebraska 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Kansas 22, Wisconsin 25.

• 1. North Carolina (31) 7-0 775
• 2. Connecticut 6-0 738
• 3. Pittsburgh 7-0 694
• 4. Duke 7-0 680
• 5. Gonzaga 5-0 640
• 6. Oklahoma 6-0 601
• 7. Notre Dame 5-1 550
• 8. Texas 5-1 535
• 9. UCLA 4-1 471
• 10. Purdue 5-1 463
• 11. Louisville 2-1 435
• 12. Michigan State 4-1 420
• 13. Tennessee 5-1 391
• 14. Xavier 6-0 322
• 15. Memphis 4-1 269
• 16. Villanova 6-0 248
• 17. Wake Forest 6-0 247
• 18. Georgetown 4-1 231
• 19. Arizona State 5-1 218
• 20. Syracuse 6-0 206
• 21. Florida 5-1 196
• 22. Miami (FL) 4-1 158
• 22. Wisconsin 5-1 158
• 24. Davidson 5-1 96
• 25. Kansas 4-1 91

Others Receiving Votes

Marquette 86, Baylor 35, Ohio State 32, Dayton 18, Washington State 14, Brigham Young 13, Illinois 11, Saint Mary's 11, Clemson 8, Butler 5, Western Kentucky 5, Texas A&M 1, Florida State 1, Michigan 1, North Carolina State 1.

Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide enters its upcoming showdown with Florida as the top-ranked team in the AP's Top 25 College Football poll. A win over the Gators Saturday will earn Alabama a berth in the national championship game on Jan. 8.

By Ed McGranahan

CLEMSON – Clemson University reached an agreement in principle Sunday to name Dabo Swinney the 25th head football coach at Clemson University.

An announcement is expected in the next couple of days.

Swinney, 39, was selected after athletic director Terry Don Phillips conducted a national search that began within days of Tommy Bowden’s resignation Oct. 13.

Hired by Bowden in 2003 to coach receivers, Swinney was promoted last year to assistant head coach when University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban attempted to bring him back to his alma mater, where he lettered three seasons and served as an assistant.

After being named interim head coach, Swinney galvanized a fractured team by challenging players to "go all in" and encouraging the fan base to embrace the team despite its disappointing start.

Consensus favorites to win the ACC championship and preseason No. 9 in the national polls, the Tigers lost their first game to Alabama and had a 3-3 record when Bowden stepped down.

Clemson decides on Swinney....

By BETH RUCKER

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lane Kiffin will become Tennessee's next coach, two days after Phillip Fulmer's 17-season tenure ended with a grand and victorious send-off.

Kiffin, the former Oakland Raiders coach, will be introduced at a news conference Monday.

"We have had unbelievable interest from great coaches," athletic director Mike Hamilton said Sunday. "When it was all said and done, we felt like Lane Kiffin was a perfect fit for Tennessee. He's energetic, charismatic, consumed with recruiting and has had a lifelong love affair with football."

Kiffin, 33, replaces Fulmer, who was forced out after 17 seasons as Vols coach. Fulmer won a national championship in 1998 and two Southeastern Conference titles but had two losing seasons in the last five years, including a 5-7 mark this year.

Kiffin was the youngest coach in the NFL's modern history when hired to lead the Raiders in January 2007 at age 31 after spending two seasons as Southern California's recruiting and offensive coordinator.

The former backup Fresno State quarterback had a rocky relationship with Oakland owner Al Davis, who fired him Sept. 30 for what he said was insubordination after going 5-15 with the Raiders.

Kiffin to be introduced as Vols coach on Monday....

• 1. Alabama 12-0
• 2. Oklahoma 11-1
• 3. Texas 11-1
• 4. Florida 11-1
• 5. USC 10-1
• 6. Utah 12-0
• 7. Texas Tech 11-1
• 8. Penn State 11-1
• 9. Boise State 12-0
• 10. Ohio State 10-2
• 11. TCU 10-2
• 12. Ball State 12-0
• 13. Cincinnati 10-2
• 14. Oklahoma State 9-3
• 15. Georgia Tech 8-3
• 16. Georgia 9-3
• 17. Boston College 9-3
• 18. BYU 10-2
• 19. Oregon 9-3
• 20. Missouri 9-3
• 21. Michigan State 9-3
• 22. Northwestern 9-3
• 23. Pitt 8-3
• 24. Florida State 8-4
• 25. Virginia Tech 8-4

• 1. Alabama 12-0
• 2. Florida 11-1
• 3. Texas 11-1
• 4. Oklahoma 11-1
• 5. USC 10-1
• 6. Penn State 11-1
• 7. Texas Tech 11-1
• 8. Utah 12-0
• 9. Boise State 12-0
• 10. Ohio State 10-2
• 11. Oklahoma State 9-3
• 12. TCU 10-2
• 13. Ball State 12-0
• 14. Cincinnati 10-2
• 15. Georgia Tech 9-3
• 16. Oregon 9-3
• 17. Georgia 9-3
• 18. Missouri 9-3
• 19. Boston College 9-3
• 20. Brigham Young 10-2
• 21. Mississippi 8-4
• 22. Michigan State 9-3
• 23. Pittsburgh 8-3
• 24. Northwestern 9-3
• 25. Oregon State 8-4

Others Receiving Votes
Tulsa, Virginia Tech, Iowa, Florida State, California.

• 1. Alabama (58) 12-0 1,521
• 2. Oklahoma (2) 11-1 1,397
• 3. Texas 11-1 1,396
• 4. Florida (1) 11-1 1,385
• 5. USC 10-1 1,298
• 6. Penn State 11-1 1,176
• 7. Utah 12-0 1,153
• 8. Texas Tech 11-1 1,116
• 9. Boise State 12-0 1,044
• 10. Ohio State 10-2 999
• 11. TCU 10-2 836
• 12. Cincinnati 10-2 770
• 13. Ball State 12-0 765
• 14. Oregon 9-3 658
• 15. Oklahoma State 9-3 613
• 16. Georgia Tech 8-3 590
• 17. Missouri 9-3 470
• 18. Brigham Young 10-2 461
• 19. Georgia 9-3 440
• 20. Boston College 9-3 435
• 21. Michigan State 9-3 414
• 22. Northwestern 9-3 333
• 23. Pittsburgh 8-3 154
• 24. Oregon State 8-4 127
• 25. Mississippi 8-4 126

Others Receiving Votes

Virginia Tech 41, Iowa 31, Tulsa 21, Florida State 15, Nebraska 11, Kansas 10, Connecticut 5, North Carolina 5, Rice 5, California 4.

Dropped From Rankings

Florida State 24, West Virginia 25.

• 1. Alabama (62) 12-0 1,620
• 2. Florida (3) 11-1 1,516
• 3. Texas 11-1 1,488
• 4. Oklahoma 11-1 1,480
• 5. USC 10-1 1,355
• 6. Penn State 11-1 1,257
• 7. Utah 12-0 1,216
• 8. Texas Tech 11-1 1,197
• 9. Boise State 12-0 1,103
• 10. Ohio State 10-2 1,069
• 11. TCU 10-2 885
• 12. Ball State 12-0 834
• 13. Cincinnati 10-2 824
• 14. Oklahoma State 9-3 798
• 15. Georgia Tech 8-3 708
• 16. Oregon 9-3 630
• 17. Georgia 9-3 495
• 18. Boston College 9-3 482
• 19. Missouri 9-3 479
• 20. Brigham Young 10-2 385
• 21. Michigan State 9-3 312
• 22. Mississippi 8-4 280
• 23. Pittsburgh 8-3 241
• 24. Northwestern 9-3 190
• 25. Oregon State 8-4 122

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa 66, Virginia Tech 47, Tulsa 13, Florida State 12, California 7, West Virginia
4, Rice 3, Connecticut 3, Nebraska 3, North Carolina 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Florida State 23.

Sam Bradford threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns, ran for another, and Oklahoma made a case for a BCS bump with a 61-41 win Saturday night against No. 11 Oklahoma State.

Tim Tebow threw three touchdown passes, ran for 80 yards and another score, and the Florida Gators thumped No. 23 Florida State 45-15 in sloppy conditions Saturday.

JACKSON, Miss.: Sylvester Croom resigned from Mississippi State on Saturday, five years after becoming the Southeastern Conference's first black head football coach.

Croom announced the decision after meeting with athletic director Greg Byrne. It came less than 24 hours after an embarrassing 45-0 loss to No. 25 Mississippi in the most lopsided Egg Bowl in 37 years.

Croom, who took over the team while it was under NCAA sanctions, won 2007 SEC coach of the year honors after leading the Bulldogs to an 8-5 finish and the Liberty Bowl. But the team struggled this season.

Croom came under immediate fire from fans after a season-opening loss to Louisiana Tech of the Western Athletic Conference. The criticism only intensified as the offensively inept Bulldogs stumbled to a 4-8 finish.

Sylvester Croom resigns at Mississippi State....

By Chris Low

Tennessee has reached an agreement with former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to take over as the Volunteers' next coach, with an announcement planned for Monday, barring any snags, according to multiple sources.


Kiffin, 33, will be making his college head coaching debut in succeeding Phillip Fulmer, who will coach his last game for the Vols on Saturday.

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton denied reports on Wednesday that Kiffin had been offered a contract. But Kiffin has been at the forefront of the Vols' search for some time.

Part of the holdup is that Tennessee didn't want to do anything officially this week that would take away from Fulmer's final game Saturday against Kentucky. Fulmer was fired by Hamilton on Nov. 2 and allowed to finish out the season. He's been at Tennessee as a player, assistant coach and head coach for 35 years.

The university has dubbed Saturday's game "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day" at Neyland Stadium in celebration of his 17-year tenure.


Kiffin was 5-15 in a year and a half with the Oakland Raiders before being fired earlier this season by team owner Al Davis.

Sources: Tennessee could announce deal with Kiffin on Monday....

Second-ranked Florida is aiming for its' second national championship in three years. This week the Gators take on longtime rival Florida State.

Top-ranked and undefeated Alabama takes on heated rival Auburn this week. This is regarded by many as the most intense rivalry in college football.

Florida State safety Myron Rolle is now one of 32 Americans entitled the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford. Rolle earned his scholarship on Saturday. He then flew to FSU's game, entering the game just before halftime.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he's had enough of the politicking that has turned the national title race into a campaign. His Sooners are ranked third in the nation, just behind Texas.

• 1. Connecticut (31) 3-0 775
• 2. North Carolina 5-0 736
• 3. California 3-0 677
• 4. Oklahoma 3-1 653
• 5. Texas A&M 3-0 606
• 6. Stanford 3-1 601
• 7. Baylor 4-0 598
• 8. Louisville 3-0 580
• 9. Texas 5-0 484
• 10. Notre Dame 3-0 464
• 11. Rutgers 2-2 440
• 12. Tennessee 3-1 410
• 13. Duke 3-1 406
• 14. Maryland 3-1 367
• 15. Virginia 3-1 355
• 16. Auburn 4-0 324
• 17. Vanderbilt 4-1 281
• 18. Oklahoma State 2-1 196
• 19. Arizona State 2-1 183
• 20. Old Dominion 3-1 144
• 21. Ohio State 3-1 142
• 22. Iowa State 3-0 122
• 23. Purdue 3-0 89
• 24. TCU 4-0 63
• 25. Xavier 2-2 50

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Florida State 45, Kansas State 41, Marist 40, Marquette 38, Hartford 29, Michigan State 29, Pittsburgh 18, Gonzaga 14, Texas Tech 12, Nebraska 11, Georgia 9, Syracuse 8, East Carolina 7, LSU 6, Georgia Tech 5, Minnesota 5, Montana 4, Michigan 3, DePaul 2, Liberty 1, North Carolina A&T 1, South Dakota State 1,