Cigars all around

Well done, college football. You made yesterday a very entertaining, very profitable day, indeed. Big ups to:

- Willie Tuitama and YOOO! OF! A! for building up a 20-point lead against UCLA and staving off a late Bruin rally. In a game where both head coaches are fighting for their lives, this may have spelled the end for Karl Durrell. I think his only hope of returning next season is if UCLA leave the Coliseum at season's end with a victory. As for Mike Stoops, hey, where was this kind of effort against New Mexico and Stanford? Instead of playing for pride, we could've been playing for a bowl. That being said, the role of spoiler seems to suit us and with Oregon and Arizona State remaining on the slate, you never know. It might be the Wildcats who single-handedly keep the Pac 10 out of the National Championship game.

- Clemson for routing Duke. Sixteen points was far too generous.

- Iowa for winning on the road over Northwestern. I'm sorry, but any team that loses to Duke never deserves to be favored.

- Ohio State for further exposing Wisconsin as frauds. Normally, I'd spit venom at the Buckeyes. But in this instance, job well done.

- Missouri for coasting through the simple Big XII North. No matter who emerges from this conference -- be it Mizzou, Kansas, or Oklahoma -- I have a hard time seeing any of them playing for the national title. That's thanks to the likes of Colorado, who manage to upset OU, then get pummelled by 45 at home.

- Illinois for whipping hapless Minnesota. A nice rebuilding story in Champagne with the Fighting Zooks.

All together, these teams put a smile on this man's face.

And as a bonus, ASU got brought back down to reality after Oregon toasted them. I'd give the Ducks the hat tip for #2 in the nation, right now, ahead of LSU and it's not because I'm a Pac 10 guy. LSU has pulled out last gasp victories the last three weeks. They're a hair away from riding a 4-game losing streak. Before you say, "Well, they're playing in the SEC!" Listen, the Pac 10 is no slouch. Dennis Dixon for the least important trophy in sports (you may know it as "The Heisman").