One Foot Inbounds: The Kelly Gang

by Robert Weintraub

The Kelly Gang was a group of fabled Australian Outback outlaws, led by Ned Kelly, who defied colonial authorities and were hanged for their troubles in the late-19th century. This season is all about the Kelly Gang -- specifically, coaches Brian and Chip Kelly, of Cincinnati and Oregon, respectively. The two were afterthoughts headed into the year. Now they're headed for a Coach of the Year Award showdown, and, almost certainly, the BCS.

Both replaced well-thought-of coaches: Chip took over this fall for Mike Bellotti, Brian took over in 2006 to replace Mark Dantonio, who left for the green (if not greener pastures) of Michigan State. Both are poised to outdo their predecessor's greatest hits. Chip's Ducks were by far the weekend's most impressive squad, laying a 47-20 whipping on USC -- an unprecedented defeat in the Pete Carroll era (for perspective, all eight of USC's losses, dating back to 2003, have been by 29 points combined). Nothing fluky here, folks -- just total control by Oregon's unheralded but effective offensive line, and a canny game plan executed to perfection.

It was Deja Q for the Trojans -- RB LaMichael James went all JacQuizz Rodgers on the Trojans. Quizz scatbacked for 186 yards and a pair of scores on USC in last season's huge upset in Corvallis. Saturday, 50 miles or so south in Eugene, James squirted, dashed, and powered for 183 yards, albeit with only one touchdown. USC had no answer for Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, either. Masoli was no bullfrog early in the season, regressing badly and battling injury, but he has come on strong as the Ducks have turned their season around. Masoli gashed the once-proud Men of Troy for 222 yards in the air and an absurd 164 on the ground. If a Pac-10 squad was finally going to stage a coup d'etat on the USC monarchy and seize the conference title, this was the way to do it -- the Trojans went out like the Romanovs.

Meanwhile, the beat went on for Brian Kelly's Bearcats -- with a twist. Starting quarterback Tony Pike, who has gotten some Heisman mention in this star-free season, sat out with an injured wing. His backup, Zach Collaros, may just have Wally Pipped Pike, throwing four touchdowns in the Carrier Dome in a comfy 28-7 whipping of lowly Syracuse. That makes nine touchdowns to only a single pick for Collaros. Pike may have to shave his ‘stache to prove his worthiness and regain his position.

Cincy is 8-0 for the first time since 1954, although that year they lost their final two games to tumble out the championship race. Fifty-five years later, it looks like the season finale at Pitt will be for the Big East title. The Panthers are good, but you can't spell Bearcats without BCS.

At the top of the table, Florida finally resembled Florida! in laying waste to Georgia, 41-17, sending thousands of weeping Bulldog fans north along the Trail of Tears (aka Interstate 95) back across the state line. Not only did UGA put up little fight against its archrival, it allowed Tim Tebow to break Herschel Walker's SEC touchdown record against its defense. At least three of Walker personalities are reported to be very upset.

Barring a sizable stunner, and assuming it gets by Alabama in the Georgia Dome in December, Florida's opponent in the BCS title fight will be Texas. At least the Longhorns looked the part, at last, stomping on Oklahoma State and all of T. Boone's windmills to boot. Texas' secondary has been unsung, but they have some serious ballhawkers back there, including many of the folks branded as goats last season after the Texas Tech nightmare. This year, the Longhorns' defensive backs are more like the Men Who Stare At Goats (read the book, forget the Clooney flick). Texas picked off Zac Robinson four times on Saturday.

Still, it was a turnover that wasn't that turned the tide -- having finally scored to cut the Texas lead to 17-7 late in the first half, Oklahoma State appeared to rip the ball away from receiver James Kirkendoll. A subsequent score would have changed the game, but the officials missed the fumble, and Colt McCoy put Texas in the end zone before halftime instead. All the lasso went out of the Cowboys' rope after that.

Speaking of rope, Indiana found a way to hang itself, instead of completing a deserved upset and perfect season-kibosh against Iowa. You have to look high and far in the annals to find a quarterback throwing five picks and winning 42-24, yet that's just what Hawkeye hurler Ricky Stanzi managed, thanks to some huge fourth-quarter breakdowns by the Hoosiers. Give Iowa credit for taking advantage, yet I still find it hard to believe in them. Awhile back I compared them to the Ohio State “Luckeyes” from early in the decade -- except Iowa isn't nearly as talented. The turning point Saturday came thanks to the replay official, who (incorrectly, in my view) overturned an apparent touchdown that would have given the Hoosiers a 14-point lead. Instead, they missed a field goal, and the stage was set for an epic collapse.

The Hawkeyes have ironically had the luck of the Irish, considering they don't have a coach named Kelly. But they shouldn't be ranked ahead of either Oregon or Cincinnati.

Toedrags

• Week's biggest laid egg goes to Virginia Tech, not USC. The Hokies were terrible at home to an awful North Carolina squad on national TV. The 17-point favorite, and my lock of the week (natch), lost outright when Ryan Williams made his first freshman mistake and coughed up a fumble deep in his own territory with two minutes to play. Farewell, ACC Championship game, thanks to a mind-bogglingly passive effort.
• Of far more ACClaim, Duke won its third straight conference game, a staggering achievement given the Blue Devils recent futility. But Duke isn't close to the nation's best reclamation project -- after all, David Cutcliffe is an excellent coach and Thaddeus Lewis a fine quarterback. But Temple! Try to wrap your head around this -- Temple has won six straight. They became bowl-eligible before November. Not even the Huxtables' lifestyle on The Cosby Show was that far-fetched. This is a program that was asked to leave the Big East Conference, mind you, a collective that still holds my wretched Orange to be a member in good standing. Bernard Pierce, the studliest freshman running back in Philly since Brian Westbrook was a pimple-faced Villanova Wildcat, continues to run roughshod, piling up 267 yards and a pair of long scores against Navy.
• Nice win for Tennessee, over their usual pigeon South Carolina, but did they really have to wear those Halloween black jerseys over the orange pants? On the subject of lame black attire, someone needs to perform an intervention in Athens, and tell Mark Richt that all attempts to wear gear other than classic red is herewith banned.
• You knew USC was in for a long night when defensive end Everson Griffen pulled up lame coming out of his three-point stance.
• B.J. Daniels continues to impress for South Florida as Matt Grothe's replacement -- he ran West Virginia ragged Friday night. Give Grothe credit for not sulking after a career-ending knee injury and giving Daniels considerable assistance in his unlikely rise to prominence.
• My wife, a proud Wake Forest alum, is still trying to figure out how the Demon Deacons blew that one to The U. Riley Skinner is one tough nut, but he took a hellacious shot that nearly removed his head midway through the fourth quarter. That set the stage for Miami's comeback, and, when you leave a gap, Jacory Harris is going to step through it.
• Tough day for Michigan schools -- Big Blue is humbled by the Zooks; Sparty loses a shootout at Minnesota; Eastern is routed by Arkansas; Western drops a bad loss to Kent State; and Central -- the state's best team -- gets pummeled by Boston College at Chestnut Hill. And you thought the auto industry had it rough.

The OFI Top 25

Every week, Robert votes in the BlogPoll [2], hosted by mgoblog [3], and available on CBS Sportsline [4].

[5]
Rank	Team	Delta
1	Florida [6]
2	Alabama [7]
3	Texas [8]
4	Cincinnati [9]	1
5	Boise State [10]	1
6	Oregon [11]	1
7	TCU [12]	1
8	Iowa [13]	1
9	Georgia Tech [14]	1
10	Penn State [15]	1
11	LSU [16]	1
12	Southern Cal [17]	8
13	Ohio State [18]	1
14	Houston [19]	1
15	Miami (Florida) [20]	3
16	Notre Dame [21]	3
17	Pittsburgh [22]	4
18	Virginia Tech [23]	5
19	Arizona [24]
20	Oklahoma [25]	2
21	Utah [26]	2
22	South Florida [27]
23	Wisconsin [28]
24	Oklahoma State [29]	8
25	California [30]
Last week's ballot [31]