Back Judge: Texas clears up BCS picture

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By Barker Davis

Clarification, thy name is Texas.

By dropping a 41-14 beat-down on then-No. 13 Oklahoma State, the Longhorns (8-0) all but framed the BCS title picture. Combine the Longhorns' statement victory in Stillwater with the resolving SEC championship race, and there's now little doubt that this season's BCS behemoth on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., will feature Texas vs. the winner of the SEC championship game.

The second part of that formula is a virtual lock, even if Florida (8-0) or Alabama (8-0) drops a game en route to Atlanta. The fourth team in the mix that controls its own fate is LSU (7-1). The Tigers travel to Alabama on Saturday with pole position in the SEC West on the line; should LSU best the Crimson Tide and then win a rematch against Florida in Atlanta, the one-loss Tigers should trump hard-luck unbeatens like TCU (8-0), Iowa (9-0) and Boise State (8-0) in the BCS standings.

The Longhorns' remaining road is even less complicated. Texas has four remaining regular-season games, all against unranked teams (Central Florida, Baylor, Kansas and Texas A&M). Those final three teams have a combined Big 12 record of 3-9, and the only legitimate speed bump on the Longhorns' path to Pasadena is a potential Big 12 championship matchup against Nebraska (5-3, 2-2), the only squad in the Big 12's far weaker North Division with the defense to tax Texas.

With Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy sputtering of late, the smart money is on Florida emerging from the SEC scrum to earn a title-game date with Texas.

Game balls and gassers

This week's leather goes to the Oregon backfield duo that emasculated USC at Autzen Stadium on Halloween night.

The Ducks piled up 613 yards of total offense and 391 rushing yards en route a 47-20 demolition of the Trojans thanks to career performances from freshman running back LaMichael James (24 carries, 183 yards) and junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (164 rushing yards, 222 passing yards).

Sure, this was a vintage no-show for USC (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10), a team that takes a passion pass a couple of times a season under Pete Carroll. But that shouldn't detract from what the Ducks (7-1, 5-0) accomplished in putting up the gaudiest numbers (most points, total yardage and rushing yardage) recorded against the Trojans in the nine-year Carroll era.

Sprints go to top-ranked Florida, which pounded reeling Georgia 41-17 in Jacksonville but lost some chits when All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes was caught on camera by CBS blatantly eye-gouging Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey in the pile.

"That's how they play," said Ealey, who called such dirty tactics routine for the Gators after gaining 70 yards on 17 carries in the loss. "They got me on the ground, and they were doing it all night. The refs just weren't seeing it."

That's well beyond unacceptable, and it makes you wonder about the character of guys like Florida coach Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong; you can't miss such behavior on film. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who is so fond of dispatching formal reprimands for actions as picayune as questioning officials, should have the brass to act immediately given such an egregious display of unsportsmanlike conduct; anything less than a one-game suspension of Spikes would represent a scandalous show of favoritism by Slive.

Of course, somebody should give Georgia coach Mark Richt a poke in the eye for subjecting fans to those black helmets; if you're going to go gimmick, your team better show up (see Kiffin, Lane).