Out of Bounds

Did you catch the latest Associated Press poll?

That is indeed Hawaii checking in at No. 27 in the rankings, just behind Nevada (whom Hawaii has already beaten). The 6-2 Warriors have won five straight since a 31-10  loss to Colorado in September. Hawaii’s only other loss this season was a 49-36 defeat at the hands of Southern Cal in the season opener.

Meanwhile, Georgia has also rebounded quite nicely after a 29-27 loss to the Buffs dropped the Bulldogs to 1-4. The ‘Dawgs have won three straight since then, and could finally climb above .500 with at win vs. Florida this weekend.

Can’t help but throw some common sense into the debate about who should take over the Colorado football program if indeed Dan Hawkins doesn’t survive the season (which appears to be a likely occurrence).

Evidently, there’s a school of thought that the next coach has to be someone from the “Colorado family,” someone with strong ties to the school and program.

How should I spell this out?

B. S.

The next coach should be the best coach available. His Colorado ties — or lack thereof — shouldn’t matter a whit.

Best coach in Colorado history? Most would say Bill McCartney, and for good reason.

McCartney’s ties to Colorado before he arrived here in the summer of 1982? Absolutely zero — unless you count the time he played here one season as a member of Missouri’s team.

Second-best coach in CU history? Eddie Crowder. Crowder’s ties to Colorado before his arrival? Zip — unless you count the times he visited here with Oklahoma and helped the Sooners drill the Buffs.

Keeping it “in the family” is a ridiculous limitation. It would eliminate some very good candidates.

The only prerequisite for Colorado’s next coach is that he should be the best available.

Andy Katz of ESPN is reporting that the Pac-10 is nearing a compromise on divisions. A North-South split, with Colorado and Utah joining the South with the Arizona schools, USC and UCLA; and Cal and Stanford grouped with the Pacific Northwest schools.

That matches what we’ve been hearing over the last couple of weeks. One part of the compromise, we’ve heard, is that Cal and Stanford would get “extra” games against SC and UCLA, with Colorado and Utah not playing those schools as often as they would under a “normal” division scheduling matrix.

That’s not a bad deal for Colorado. Still gives the Buffs a visit to Los Angeles every year (fertile recruiting territory). Downside is not as many trips to the Bay Area, where CU has lots of alums.

The first of what will certainly be a long list of schedule changes were announced on Monday.

The changes are coming about in large part because of the conference moves of Colorado, Nebraska and Utah. Those moves will affect the scheduling of four conferences. The Pac-10, Mountain West, Big 12 and Big Ten will all be revamping their schedules for next season (the Big Ten has already reworked its 2011 schedule).

On Monday, Georgia and Oregon announced they had canceled a two-game series set for 2015 and 2016. Also Monday, Iowa State announced that it had canceled a planned road trip to Utah for 2011.

Interesting background on Georgia coach Mark Richt, from a story written four years ago when Colorado played at Georgia …

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/092206/football_20060922049.shtml

Missouri officials announced Wednesday that running back Derrick Washington, the Tigers’ leading rusher the last two seasons, has been kicked off the team, two days after he was charged with sexual assault.

Washington is accused of assaulting a former tutor over the summer. Washington is accused of entering her closed bedroom and assaulting the woman while she slept. He faces one count of deviate sexual assault.

Remember the flak CU head coach Dan Hawkins was catching because he hadn’t named a starting quarterback two weeks before the season opener?

You have to wonder if Nebraska’s Bo Pelini is catching the same kind of grief. Pelini told reporters after Saturday’s practice that he has a plan for the position, but he’s still not ready to announce who is starter will be next Saturday when the Huskers open the season against Western Kentucky.

The competition in NU’s camp has been spirited, with incumbent starter Zac Lee getting strong challenges from redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez and sophomore Cody Green.

When someone asked Pelini whether all three could play in the opener, Pelini’s response wasn’t exactly friendly: “We could play 10 guys. I don’t have a crystal ball.”

Yes, you read that right.

Darian Hagan, son of the former Colorado standout quarterback and current running backs coach, was listed at No. 1 on the depth chart at cornerback for Cal when the Bears released their depth chart on Thursday.

The younger Hagan is listed at 6-0, 178. He started four games last year and played in 10. It should definitely make for some interesting moments when his dad and the Buffaloes visit Cal on Sept. 11.

Hagan is coming off a difficult 2009 season, when he battled academic issues and also lost his starting job.

But he had good reason for his distractions. Hagan disclosed earlier in camp this summer that his 1-year-old daughter, Kaiyana, battled cancer all through last season. Here is the story from the Oakland Tribune.

Two running backs the Colorado Buffaloes might see this year are currently facing off-the-field issues that could affect their status.

Georgia RB Washaun Ealey, the team’s leading rusher a year ago, was arrested early Friday and charged with hit and run and driving on a suspended license. UGA police chief Jimmy Williamson said Ealey hit a parked truck in the school parking deck at 3:19 a.m., then left the scene.

The possible charges in Mizzou are much more serious.

Tigers RB Derrick Washington was accused of sexual assault by a former tutor in June, and could still face criminal charges in the case. Speculation is that the case is the the reason behind Washington’s current indefinite suspension.

Washington has been MU’s leading rusher the last two years.

MU school policy says an athlete charged with a felony cannot return to the field until the case is resolved.

Sometimes, truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

This from the Associated Press:

An Oregon State University offensive lineman has been dismissed from the team after police say they found him naked and intoxicated in a stranger’s home and had to use stun guns to take him into custody.

Corvallis police say they received the call about a naked intruder early Sunday.

“Responding officers ordered 19-year-old Tyler Patrick Thomas of Kalispell, Mont., to get on the ground, Lt. Tim Brewer said.

Thomas refused and instead dropped into a three-point stance like a football player and lunged at the officers, Brewer said. At that point, he said, two officers fired their stun guns.

Brewer said Thomas “absolutely was intoxicated” at the time.

Thomas was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass, criminal mischief and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Benton County jail and later released.

Oregon State head coach Mike Riley dismissed Thomas from the team Monday, OSU athletics spokesman Steve Fenk said.