Ohio State jumps Miami in latest BCS Rankings

Everything fell into place for the Ohio State Buckeyes as the third-, fourth- and fifth-ranked BCS teams lost in what was a shocking first Saturday in November. The Buckeyes took care of their business with a convincing win over an up-and-coming Gopher team.

The win, coupled with a near upset of mammoth proportions by Rutgers against Miami, allowed the Buckeyes to move up four spots into the precious No. 2 spot in the BCS rankings.

“It is an exciting time for our program,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. ” However, we must focus on the task at hand, and that is the Purdue Boilermakers.”

The No. 2 position in the BCS rankings marks the latest a Big Ten team has been ranked this high since the introduction to the BCS system in 1998. Along with Ohio State, both Iowa and Michigan are sixth and 11th, respectively, and give the Big Ten the greatest number of teams in the top 11, with three.

“It speaks very highly of our conference,” Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez said. “It appears as though we are going to have a few teams play in a BCS bowl, and that’s very impressive and shows that the conference is doing just fine.”

In what has come as a major surprise to the college-football world, the Big Ten is having one of its best years in a long time. Three months removed from predictions of a down year in the conference, the Big Ten has once again proven it is one of the best college-football leagues in the nation.

“The conference is having a great year,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “The Big Ten is an excellent conference and always will be.”

Adding evidence to this remark is that the Big Ten is an impressive 32-11 against non-conference opponents and already has five teams bowl eligible with a sixth in the Wisconsin Badgers just a win way.

Iowa QB Banks for the Heisman?

While every other Heisman candidate has found reasons not to earn the award, Iowa quarterback Brad Banks is doing everything a Heisman winner needs to do. He has led the Hawkeyes to a 9-1 overall record and a remarkable undefeated 6-0 record in Big Ten play. He is the nation’s top-rated passer and has been as solid as anyone at the position.

Brad is having a tremendous year,” coach Ferentz said. “He was a JUCO (Junior College) recruit and has turned out to be a great find for our program.”

Had Banks played last season and made a name for himself, he would by all accounts be a top contender for the award. However, in his first season as a starter, the nation is just now hearing about a kid in Iowa having one of the best seasons in the country.

He has compiled 20 touchdowns with only four interceptions and leads an offense ranked 10th in the country. His touchdown percentage of 8.66 is tops in the nation and ranks him ahead of other Heisman candidates such as Ken Dorsey from Miami and Jason Gesser from Washington State in quite a few statistical categories. Many experts expect Banks to be invited to New York as a top-five candidate, yet whether or not he wins is an entirely different matter.

“I am proud of our team,” Banks said. “I just want to continue leading this team to victories and hopefully a Big Ten championship.”

Morris Watts taking over at MSU

In what comes as no surprise to the football world, Michigan State waved goodbye to head coach Bobby Williams after struggles both on and off the field.

“It’s been a tough 24 hours,” interim head coach Morris Watt’s said. “Bobby is a good football coach and is going through a very difficult time now for himself and his family.”

Following embarrassing losses in consecutive weeks to Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, it had become evident that Williams had lost control of his players and his program. Accompanied by the team’s dismal 3-6 record, off-field incidences had turned public lately. Senior quarterback Jeff Smoker was suspended for an unspecified team violation. A week later, it was revealed Smoker was battling a substance-abuse problem and was checking himself into a rehab center for help. Add to that two felonies charges against running back Dawan Moss for dragging an officer during a routine traffic stop, and it became clear that a change needed to be made.

Heartfelt sentiments from coaches around the league were noticed at Tuesday’s press conferences.

“My heart goes out to Bobby and his family,” Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said. “Bobby is a very good coach and did a good job at Michigan State.”

Our players were stunned,” interim head coach Morris Watts said. “Bobby will be missed around here.”