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Ohio State is halfway home

A look at some other bests - and worsts - at season's midpoint

01:57 AM CDT on Friday, October 13, 2006

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News

Thanks to the 12th game, it's easy to the chart the halfway mark of the college football season.

And thanks to Ohio State, the preseason's most compelling storyline has become an afterthought. When it comes to No. 1, there are the Buckeyes and there is everybody else.

Maybe the half season that was can tell us a little about the half season to come:

Best team: Ohio State won road games at Texas and Iowa by a combined score of 62-24. Imagine any other team duplicating that performance. How many defensive starters did the Buckeyes lose to the NFL?

Best Heisman pick: Troy Smith is a shorter Vince Young, without competition from Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. In wins over Michigan, Notre Dame, Iowa and Texas since last November, he has nine touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Best NFL prospect: Brady Quinn entered the season atop draft boards and remains there, according to SportsDay's Rick Gosselin.

Biggest surprise: Normally, six games into the season Missouri fans are compiling possible successors to coach Gary Pinkel. Now the Tigers are unbeaten and bowl-eligible with a strong Texas flavor.

Best coach off the hot seat: People were starting Web sites and selling T-shirts urging the firing of Arkansas' Houston Nutt. Not anymore. The Razorbacks should be 7-1 going into South Carolina on Nov. 4.

Best pointless debate: Can pint-sized Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois win the Heisman? Well, no. But that hasn't stopped it from becoming a fun issue du jour.

Worst service to officials: To the Pac-10, where the rule book is apparently just suggestions. Maybe Leslie Nielsen will turn up on a Pac-10 crew soon.

Worst endorsement of computer rankings: The Pac-10 wins again. Never mind Cal's debacle at Tennessee or Oregon State's humiliation at Boise State. The computers love the Pac-10, so USC could be near the top of the first BCS rankings despite being merely average for a month.

Most lasting impact: Texas' loss to Ohio State could impact schedules for years to come. Mack Brown correctly noted that Texas would probably be No. 2 if it had played somebody else. Other coaches paid attention. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier made the same point a week ago.

Weirdest schedule: TCU played the Rubik's Cube of schedules. TCU last played on a Saturday back on Sept. 16. The next Saturday on the schedule is Oct. 21.

E-mail ccarlton@dallasnews.com

FIVE TO FOLLOW
These games will help determine who goes to Glendale, Ariz., for the BCS championship game:
Date	Game	Comment
Oct. 14	Florida at Auburn	SEC demolition derby continues
Oct. 21	Texas at Nebraska	What happens if 'Horns go 12-1?
Nov. 2	W. Virginia at Louisville	Winner likely to finish unbeaten
Nov. 18	Michigan at Ohio State	Redemption for Lloyd Carr?
Nov. 25	Notre Dame at USC	Quinn makes his Heisman move

PLAYER TO WATCH

Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers

Rutgers at Navy, 12:30 p.m. (CSTV): Rutgers has emerged as one of the top surprises, in part because of Rice. The sophomore has put together a streak of seven consecutive 100-yard rushing games. "Rice is a great back, there's no doubt about that," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "He has great balance and is hard to tackle. He has good vision. He's the best back we will have faced all year." Rice ranks as the nation's second-leading rusher, behind Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe. Rice ran for 202 yards against South Florida in his last game. He's totaled at least 100 yards rushing in 10 of 17 career games.

CHUCK CARLTON'S NATIONAL PICKS
Florida at Auburn (Pick)	6:45	ESPN	Pick: Auburn 17, Florida 9
This matchup looked better before Arkansas ran over the Auburn defense. The Tigers have been outgained by an average of 100 yards in their last three SEC games.
Arizona State (+19) at USC	7:00		Pick: USC 34, Arizona St. 9
USC hasn't scored 30 points in its last four games. The Trojans should end the drought against slumping Arizona State, especially if WR Dwayne Jarrett (shoulder) returns.
Michigan at Penn State (+6)	7:00	Ch. 8	Pick: Penn St. 17, Michigan 13
Michigan finds out just how much big-play receiver Mario Manningham (knee surgery) meant to the offense. Happy Valley is historically a bad place to discover new things.
Rutgers (+1½) at Navy	12:30	CSTV	Pick: Rutgers 28, Navy 24
Rutgers (6-0) is ranked for just the eighth time in the AP poll. To keep getting national attention, Rutgers must stop Navy's triple option, which averages 350 yards rushing.
Missouri at Texas A&M (+2)	2:30	Ch. 8	Pick: Missouri 21, A&M 13
Emerging Aggies QB Stephen McGee faces his biggest challenge this season. Missouri's defense has allowed just 11.8 points a game en route to a 6-0 start.
Baylor (+28 ½ ) at Texas	6:00	TBS	Pick: Texas 48, Baylor 10
Baylor is 2-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since ... forever. The Bears, seeking an "I-35 Surprise," must prove they have closed the 62-point gap from last season.
Neb. at Kansas St. (+10 ½ )	6:10		Pick: Neb. 20, Kansas St. 14
Bill Callahan has realized that the West Coast offense wasn't the best fit for Nebraska. The ground game is back on the plains, with four backs recording 100-yard games this season.
Iowa St. (+19) at OU	11:30 a.m.	FSNSW	Pick: Oklahoma 24, Iowa St. 13
Remember when Oklahoma was a national contender? Remember when Iowa State was the early North favorite? One team will still be winless in the Big 12 after this.
Boise St. at N.M. St. (+26 ½ )	7:00 (Sun.)	ESPN	Pick: Boise St. 35, N.M. St. 33
Boise State's BCS trek could encounter problems. New Mexico State, led by L.D. Bell product Chase Holbrook, averages 32.8 points. Three losses have come by a combined 20 points.
Texas Tech at Colorado (+7)	2:30		Pick: Texas Tech 31, Colo. 20
There's no QB controversy at Tech. And there's no second doubts at Colorado, where first-year coach Dan Hawkins says he doesn't regret leaving Boise State for an 0-6 start.
Marshall (+4) at SMU	2:00		Pick: Marshall 20, SMU 19.
A strange week on the Hilltop ended with QB Justin Willis reinstated. But how quickly can the Mustangs put it behind them against an opponent that has lost three straight?