If quarterback Chris Lewis hadn't been suspended for using the school's long-distance account to call his girlfriend, Stanford would have won that game.

I don't know about you, but I hope that relationship lasts.

What Mangino really needs is some big offensive linemen.

When you write something like that, it drives the SEC office in Birmingham crazy.

Judging from the Mailbag this week, I'm driving a lot of you crazy. Here goes:

I am absolutely dumbfounded as to how you can leave out Tennessee QB Casey Clausen from your Heisman Watch! Are you crazy? Clausen had comparable numbers to Rex Grossman and Ken Dorsey last year as a sophomore. I cannot believe you would leave him out.
—Patrick Bobo, Huntsville, Ala.

If it makes any difference, I think Casey is the third-best quarterback in the SEC. I think he's better than his brother Rick . I even think he's better than the guy he replaced, A.J. Suggs , who has Georgia Tech off to a 2-0 start. But I also think there are at least four or five quarterbacks in the rest of the nation who are better than he is.

With all due respect, I don't think you answered last week's question on South Carolina. Whether Lou Holtz made you laugh at the media day six weeks ago isn't really important, is it? How do you think the Gamecocks will do?
—David Grier, Greenville, S.C.

Yeah, I didn't answer it. But to be honest, who could draw any conclusions about South Carolina after it beat New Mexico State? As for what I said about Lou not being on top of his game, let me ask you this: When have you ever seen a Holtz team lose six fumbles in one game? That's how many the Gamecocks lost at Virginia. As I pointed out in my Tuesday Insider, South Carolina lost seven fumbles all of last season. We all thought the big questions needed to be answered on defense, where the Gamecocks lost so many outstanding players. Turns out offense is the trouble spot. I'm guessing Holtz will get that fixed rather quickly. The season depends on it.

When will the Big 12 finally wise up and remove Baylor? How many more 70-22 losses can a school have yet remain in a powerhouse conference like the Big 12? And, oh, yeah, what in the blue heck is Kevin Steele still doing on the sidelines?!?
—John Lamerson, Austin, Texas

In fairness to John, this letter came in before Baylor waxed Division I-AA Samford 50-12. Steele is a good football coach and he has hired good assistants. Sophomore Aaron Karas has looked much better in his game-and-a-half at quarterback than senior Greg Cicero ever did. Don't give up on the Bears yet, John.

And let me ask you something: If the big conferences got rid of their weak teams, how would the good teams all go 8-4 and get bowl bids?

As a Lehigh grad, I was hoping for some kind words for the longest regular-season winning streak in Division I football (24 games) as well as the most-played rivalry in college football (Lehigh-Lafayette). Don't you agree that the Patriot League and the Ivy League deserve some credit for playing college football the way it was meant to be played?
—Frank Christoffel, Lancaster, Pa.

Frank, I grew up in Alabama, so I always thought the way the game was meant to be played was with mumbling coaches whose boys had good mamas and papas (and let's not forget those $100 handshakes after the game). But what the heck -- if the game was meant to be played with no scholarships, no one does it better than the Patriot League.

I am curious why Jim Donnan's name did not come up for any of the job openings last winter. His record at Georgia was very good. I know he had a hard time with Florida and Tennessee, but so did everyone else. What he is doing now?
—Mike Maloney, Chicago

I haven't asked Donnan, but I suspect he wants to stay in the south, and there weren't a whole lot of openings in the region last winter. Georgia Tech had one, but it's not going to hire a former Dawg. For now, Jim is doing some commentary for ESPN.com.

I know it's only a week into the season, but why hasn't Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe been fired yet? This guy let his kids down with a boneheaded maneuver by going for two in the first overtime against Northern Illinois. Somebody needs to tell this clown that you play to win, and to not make ridiculous decisions after your kids have worked their butts off for four-plus quarters!
—Bob Roche, Colorado Springs

Yeah, I'd really be disappointed with Jim Grobe. Wake went 6-5 last season, the Deacons' second winning season since, what, Jesse Helms was in grade school? The Deacs have lost only one game by more than a touchdown since he arrived.

You may not agree with his decision to go for a knockout punch against Northern Illinois, but fire him? Admit it, Bob. You're really a Tar Heel, aren't you?

Do you ever get sick of BYU fans asking why the media hate the Cougars and never give them any respect? Just wondering.

P.S. I'm an avid BYU fan who DIDN'T ask the question. I'm sure many in Cougar Nation are very proud of me.
—Eric Anderson, New York

Eric, I'm not in Cougar Nation, but I'm getting watery-eyed here.

With Bobby Bowden nipping at the heels of Joe Paterno for all-time Division I-A victories, I was wondering why Bowden's total includes his wins at Division I-AA Samford? If people aren't going to make a distinction between the two divisions, then who cares about Paterno and Bowden, because Eddie Robinson has 408 Division I-AA victories?
—Ryan, Lansdale, Pa.

I'm willing to go with the NCAA's rule on this one. Once a coach has five years or 50 victories at a major college, everything counts. No one complained about Amos Alonzo Stagg coaching at Springfield College or College of the Pacific for so many years. Bowden spent a few years at Samford, yes, but he has put in 30 years at West Virginia and Florida State. Hey, Bowden vs. Paterno is going to be a good match race for the next few years. Just enjoy it.

I just saw your latest Heisman Watch, in which you included cornerback Vontez Duff of Notre Dame. If you were going to include a defensive player with big return stats, I would have thought DeJuan Groce would have been at the top of that list. I may be labeled a homer, but through three games Groce has four interceptions (including one that should be on everyone's highlight reel, backhanded with one hand) and two punt returns for scores. I realize Nebraska's competition (Arizona State, Troy State and Utah State) hasn't been top-notch, but Groce did return a kick for a touchdown against Miami last year. It's early, a lot of potential candidates are out there, and we need to see what Groce does against tougher competition (Penn State on Saturday) -- but his stats are still compelling.

Keep an eye on him. With the Cornhuskers' offensive difficulties, it would not surprise me to see Groce line up on the offensive side.
—John Fleming, Omaha, Neb.

Yeah, if I was going to use a non-quarterback as my fifth-place player, I should have used Groce. My mistake.

Next week is the battle for the Iron Skillet, a series that began in 1915 and is better known as the annual game between TCU and SMU. I grew up in Fort Worth rooting for the Horned Frogs, my favorite team at the time. But I attended Texas for undergrad and now am a first-year MBA student at SMU. So I root for the Longhorns, Mustangs and Horned Frogs, in that order. Recently, I have been having an argument with my brother, who insists that even though I go to graduate school at SMU, I should pull for the Horned Frogs because they were my favorite team during my childhood. I told him it will be hard to pull for the Mustangs over the Horned Frogs, but I have to do it because that is where I go to school. Can you please settle this argument for us? Shouldn't your school dictate whom you should pull for? Even if it is graduate school?
—Justin Shull, Fort Worth, Texas

Geez, Justin, if you had only signed your letter, "Undecided in Big D," I could pretend I was Dear Abby.

It takes a strong constitution to root against your school. I say stick with the Mustangs, and make sure you get all the points you can from your brother.

I've been saying this for quite some time: Am I the only one who thinks Oklahoma, along with the Big 12 in general, is way overrated? Why don't Big 12 schools play any competitive nonconference teams? Look at Miami, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee. Also, I think pollsters should wait until the fourth or fifth week of the season before publishing rankings. Then you would see teams like Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee and Michigan State ranked where they should be, as opposed to teams like Oklahoma, Florida and Texas just hanging on.
—Chuck Louis, San Antonio

Chuck gets the coveted "I Told You So" award this week. Oklahoma is overrated. I dropped the Sooners to fourth in my AP vote, which I mention only as an opening to tell you why the polls start so early. It's simple, Chuck: Polls sell newspapers. That's why the AP began its poll in 1936. That's why it remains popular. It sells papers. Once you start to think something silly, like the poll is there to determine a national champ, you realize why the voters should wait until midseason. I have news for you. It's mid-September, and papers are for sale right this very minute.

Kentucky has a chance to win six or seven games this year, maybe more. Do you think the bowl ban is fair? The coaches, players and even the athletic director originally involved are gone, and scholarships already have been cut significantly. Why punish the current players and coaching staff for something they had no part in?
—Robbie Taylor, Lexington, Ky.

Robbie, it's not fair, but what's the alternative? No punishment is fair to the current players. Do they deserve to play with fewer teammates on scholarship than their opponents? No. Do they deserve not to go to a bowl and get the extra two weeks of practice? No. But you have to punish the offending school somehow.

When did the Heisman become a quarterback-only award? In the last few years, the only candidates have been QBs. Following the candidates has come down to "What did all the QBs do last weekend?" Can't the Heisman hype be a little more interesting than this?
—Nurnham Stokes, Tallahassee, Fla.

Nurnham, I have news for you. Put your Flock of Seagulls cassettes away. The 1980s are over. With the advent of the spread offense, running backs are no longer the engines of offenses. Last season, no tailback finished in the top five of the Heisman vote. Tailbacks undoubtedly will come back into fashion at some time. So, too, will leisure suits.

Why do you have a defensive back on your Heisman list ahead of Seneca Wallace? Is it because Wallace is at Iowa State and Vontez Duff is at Notre Dame? Look at the way ISU has been playing. I think the Cyclones are going to kill Iowa this weekend -- and I'm a Hawkeyes fan. Wallace is the most talented guy out there.
—Ryan Streit, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Wallace didn't play last week, and I was so focused on Saturday's games that I didn't include him. He should be on there, too. I can't wait to see whether Iowa can stop him.

What's your take on Southern Miss? Do the Golden Eagles have any chance of running the table and crashing the BCS party? They have a favorable schedule, a great running back and a stellar defense.
—Greg Carter, Wood River, Neb.

I don't think they'll crash the party; I don't think they'll run the table, because I don't think they'll beat Alabama. But they are good. That running back, Dwayne Nix , is a great story. He has overcome more problems than Andy Sipowicz on NYPD Blue. Their defensive star, linebacker Rod Davis , is a big-time player, too.

You asked, "Is there a tougher place to play?" regarding Blacksburg, Va. I submit Lincoln, Neb. I hear all kinds of comments on this subject from media talking heads, to whom I would love to pose this somewhat subjective question: "What part of 92-3 at home since 1987 isn't sinking in?" Perhaps stating that Nebraska is 71-1 at home since 1991 makes it sound better for people? The Cornhuskers have lost just three games at home in 15 years, and two came to eventual national champions. Some stadiums may be louder, some fans more obnoxious and edgy, but walking out of Lincoln with a win as a visiting team happens about as often as Oprah passing on some sweet potato pie. Show Lincoln some love, will ya?
—Derek DeRoin, Omaha, Neb.

First, let me say how honored I am to be considered a "talking head." Ever since I was a kid, it's been a dream of mine to be labeled with a term synonymous with vacuous, well-coiffed, non-stop chattering.

Second, Nebraska is a tough place to play, because of the players wearing the red jerseys. No opponent leaves Lincoln without commenting on how knowledgeable and polite the fans are. However, Lincoln is not as hard to get to as Blacksburg. The stadium is not as noisy and the fans are not as rowdy, mainly because the crowd in Blacksburg has a median age lower than 83. Hey, I like going to Memorial Stadium, even if on my last trip I couldn't find that saying that, before the remodeling, was engraved on the outside wall of the southwest corner. But it's tougher to get a table in Barry's on game day than it is to play there.

First of all, how could you leave Charles Rogers off of your list of Heisman frontrunners? Second, how could you -- or any of your colleagues, for that matter -- put Ken Dorsey on your list with a straight face? Isn't the Heisman Trophy supposed to be given to the best player in the nation? Or is it given to an average player on a great team? My list is Byron Leftwich, Charles Rogers, Rex Grossman. You so-called experts need to judge these players on what the award was supposed to be given for.
—Brett, Austin, Texas

Y'all have got to cut me some slack on the Heisman thing. Teams have played two games. Two! We're still dealing largely with what the players are expected to do. Let's let the thing sort itself out. Rogers, by the way, as a receiver, will have to do more than just catch passes if he wants to win the Heisman. Charles Woodson -- which, if you're a Spartans fan, you'll pardon the expression -- played both ways and returned kicks. Tim Brown returned kicks. If Rogers is back to return kicks, no one is kicking to him, judging by the stats.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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