Revenge factor

For Minnesota, USC and Texas, Saturday will be about payback

Running back Laurence Maroney is averaging 134 yards per game. AP

For nearly every coach in America, there comes a game about once a year when the fire-and-brimstone pep talks aren't necessary. Such is the case this week for Texas' Mack Brown, USC's Pete Carroll and Minnesota's Glen Mason.

If anything, they might be a detriment.

"For me to run into the team meeting and say, 'Hey, this is Michigan! Big week! Arrgh!' -- what's that going to do?" said Mason. "They already know it."

The Gophers have known it from the time they walked off the Metrodome turf that stunning night a year ago after blowing a 28-7 fourth-quarter lead to the Wolverines, their 15th straight loss in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. The defeat ultimately cost Minnesota -- 6-0 at the time -- a chance at the Big Ten title.

The Gophers, this time 5-0 and ranked 13th, revisit the Wolverines on Saturday in Ann Arbor in what is easily their biggest game in decades. With a schedule conveniently devoid of Big Ten powers Purdue and Ohio State, a win Saturday would put Minnesota squarely in the driver's seat for its first Rose Bowl trip since 1962 (the Gophers hold the tiebreaker over Purdue by having gone to Pasadena less recently).

The stakes for this game are high enough as it is, but for Minnesota's players, it has to be tempting to think about something else -- revenge.

Such is the dilemma coaches face in these situations. Yes, they're always looking for any sort of edge -- a potential mismatch here, a little bulletin-board material there. But they're also skittish about their players focusing too much on past disappointments.

"Everyone keeps saying, 'I bet you're looking forward to revenge,'" said Mason. "Revenge has nothing to do with it. It's how we play and how we prepare [for Saturday]. If anything, you'd like them to forget last year."

Texas' Brown has been spinning much the same tune for four years now when it comes to the Longhorns' well-chronicled shortcomings against archrival Oklahoma. "I think it's totally about the physical and preparation," said the sixth-year Longhorns coach "... I've got to carry the burden of losing the last four games."

But even Texas' players will admit the losing streak has taken its toll mentally. "Last year, we denied and tried to back away from it that those guys had a mental edge on us," defensive tackle Rodrique Wright said of the 'Horns' 65-13 debacle. "The best thing we've done is identify that they did have one on us and fig¬ure out why they did. Basically, we have to remember that those were other teams. Most of us didn't even play in 2000, 2001, 2002. These are two new teams, new attitudes. We need to wipe the slate clean."

One team that wouldn't seem to need to wipe the slate clean is USC. Saturday's opponent, Cal, is the only team to beat the Trojans over the past two seasons. The Bears come into L.A. Coliseum ranked seventh, their highest mark in 13 years, and with aspirations of dethroning USC in the Pac-10.

Considering the Trojans' overall dominance the past few years (27-3 since 2002), the Cal loss is unlikely to serve as a mental block. If anything, it would seem the perfect motivator for a team that has every reason to be complacent. If so, Carroll isn't taking the bait.

"I'm not bringing [last year's loss] up to try to get them jacked up about it," said the USC coach. "I'm bringing it up because it can be a distraction. It's natural that people ask the question. We have to be aware of it, put it in its proper perspective and move on."

Perhaps the distraction aspect has played a greater role for the Longhorns than they'd like to admit.

While Minnesota's struggles against Michigan can be attributed to the fact that, for most of their past 15 meetings, the Wolverines were a better team, the OU-Texas streak is much more puzzling. If you believe the recruiting rankings, the talent has been similar on both sides of the ball. Because of that, and because of the fact the game, already a bitter rivalry, now carries annual conference and national title implications, the attention accorded the 'Horns' failures has become immeasurable. Columnists openly speculate whether Brown, despite a 36-7 record since 2001, might lose his job with another OU defeat. Running back Cedric Benson has been vilified for his comment that he'd rather win the Heisman than beat the Sooners.

Observers wonder whether Oklahoma sideline guru Bob Stoops has gotten in the Longhorns coaches' heads. Perhaps it's actually everyone else getting in the players' heads.

"It upsets me when I hear people come down on the coaches for things," Wright told the Houston Chronicle. "[The players] have to get ourselves right. We have to dig down deep inside."

No coach had to tell him that.

Around the country

IOWA: How hard has the injury bug hit the Hawkeyes? They've now lost their top three running backs to season-ending ACL injuries after starter Jermelle Lewis went down last weekend against Michigan State. "In 2002 [when Iowa went to the Orange Bowl], we sailed right through without losing a starter to a surgery," said head coach Kirk Ferentz. "This season has been the opposite. I think we've had 10." Nebraska transfer Marques Simmons (21 carries, 98 yards) becomes the new starter, with little-used sophomore Sam Brownlee backing him up. Almost out of necessity, the Hawkeyes went to the air more against the Spartans, with steadily improving QB Drew Tate throwing for 340 yards in a 38-16 win.

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UCF: The George O'Leary era in Orlando couldn't be off to a worse start. An embarrassing 48-20 defeat at perennial MAC cellar-dweller Buffalo dropped the Golden Knights' record to 0-4, their current losing streak to eight and prompted one local columnist to suggest they're the worst team in Division I-A. All four losses have come by at least 24 points. UCF is only two years removed from a string of three winning seasons in four years, but massive attrition under former coach Mike Kruczek is rearing its head. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Kruzczek, fired after last year's 3-9 season, lost 20 players over a three-year period for a variety of reasons. Numerous others have left, been injured or declared academically ineligible under O'Leary. Also, according to the Sentinel, only three current players can run a sub-4.5 40, a shocker in speed-rich Florida. Asked what he'd learned so far, O'Leary told the paper, "That we need to recruit."

PITTSBURGH: Eighth-year Panthers head coach Walt Harris has been the subject of unrelenting criticism from the local media this week following Pittsburgh's 29-17 loss at Connecticut. He's taking particular heat for his decision to have QB Tyler Palko down the ball on third and goal at the Huskies' 12 late in the first half and settle for a field goal. There have already been several articles calling for his head, and one columnist -- assuming Harris' firing to be inevitable -- went as far as to write a column analyzing potential replacements. "To be honest, I haven't been on top on the criticism because I don't read the papers, I don't listen to sports radio," said Harris, "so I am naive or ignorant about what you guys are saying." Harris has led the Panthers to three straight bowl games, but last year's 8-5 finish, after starting the season in the top 15, was considered a disappointment, and this season is shaping up to be a rebuilding year.

MISSOURI: The Tigers' Brad Smith-led offense has yet to have its anticipated explosion, but the defense stole the show in Missouri's 17-9 win over Colorado last weekend. The Tigers held Buffs RB Bobby Purify to 81 yards on 22 carries, intercepted QB Joel Klatt three times and allowed just 251 total yards in becoming one of just two North division teams (the other Nebraska) to start Big 12 play with a victory. "In the last game we had a really good game physically up front," said head coach Gary Pinkel. "... I think we're making progress." The strength of the unit is all-conference defensive tackles C.J. Mosley and Atiyyah Ellison, but more notable for the Tigers has been the play of junior cornerback Marcus King (two interceptions), who, after redshirting last season to mature physically, has supplanted starter A.J. Kincade.

KANSAS STATE: The stats say Darren Sproles is having another seemingly stellar season, his 152.8-yards-per-game average good for sixth-best nationally. What those numbers don't reflect is that the preseason Heisman candidate has fumbled six times in the past two games, losing four. In last weekend's 42-30 loss to Texas A&M, he coughed it up at the Wildcats' own 12-yard-line, setting up an Aggies touchdown, and muffed a punt return at his own 6, setting up another score. It appears Sproles, in his first season without dangerous QB Ell Roberson in the backfield, may be feeling the burden of being the Wildcats' only real weapon on offense or special teams. "Part of it is he presses awfully hard," said K-State coach Bill Snyder. "He wants to make a play every time he gets a chance."

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.