Off the Mark

If there are indeed football gods -- and the next time Duke scores a touchdown, I'll be a true believer -- then perhaps justice is being served at Michigan State and Texas A&M.

Remember when Louisville's players learned coach John L. Smith was bolting for Michigan State during halftime of the Cardinals' 38-15 loss to Marshall in the GMAC Bowl at the end of the 2002 season?

Likewise, remember when Dennis Franchione implored his players at Alabama, which was under harsh NCAA sanctions, not to leave and stick with Coach Fran and the Crimson Tide? And then many of those same players watched Franchione bolt for a $2 million salary at Texas A&M in December 2002, before Alabama faced the worst of its probation.

At Michigan State, Smith's program is in meltdown. The Spartans blew a 17-point lead in the second half of their 40-37 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 23, and then slept through a 23-20 loss to Illinois on Saturday.

It was the Illini's first victory in a Big Ten road game since 2002. Illinois had lost 24 of its last 25 conference games before spoiling the Spartans' homecoming.

"All week. That's the way we practiced, what you saw," Smith told reporters after the Illinois loss. "We can't get them to go. And apparently I don't have the answer. We can't get them to go hard in practice, so we've got to continue to look for the answer."

The stunning loss was followed by an ugly scene at midfield, when the teams exchanged punches and shoves when Illinois players tried to plant an Illini flag at midfield.

Just when you thought the Spartans' loss to Illinois couldn't get uglier, a fight breaks out.Afterward, Smith ended his postgame news conference by slapping himself in the face and saying, "I got hit," apparently a reference to Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis' claim that he got hit during a sideline scuffle involving Spartans receiver Matt Trannon.

Way to get over that loss, Coach.

It might get much uglier in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans play at No. 6 Michigan on Saturday, then host No. 1 Ohio State on Oct. 14. They'll probably play the Wolverines without quarterback Drew Stanton (bruised ribs) and tailback Javon Ringer (sprained knee). Left guard Daniel Zynn broke his ankle and is probably out for the rest of the season.




Texas A&M fans might not ever get over the Aggies' 31-27 loss to Texas Tech, in which the Red Raiders scored the game-winning touchdown on Graham Harrell's 37-yard touchdown pass to Robert Johnson with only 26 seconds to go. The Aggies had kicked the go-ahead field goal less than two minutes earlier.

The loss dropped Franchione's overall record at Texas A&M to 20-19 in three-plus seasons. The Aggies might need to win three of their next four games -- at Kansas, at home against surging Missouri and road games at Oklahoma State and Baylor -- to save Coach Fran's job.

Texas A&M finishes the season with home games against No. 14 Oklahoma and No. 22 Nebraska and a road finale at No. 7 Texas.

I am now feeling a little sorry for John L. but Karma is a B!tch. I was not made that he left of Michigan State at the time but it was his actions afterward. Calling out the UofL fanbase for no reason and telling UofL fans they need to know where they are on the so-called College Football Food Chain.

When you leave you leave with class and John L. did not do that.

Maize Wrote:I am now feeling a little sorry for John L. but Karma is a B!tch. I was not made that he left of Michigan State at the time but it was his actions afterward. Calling out the UofL fanbase for no reason and telling UofL fans they need to know where they are on the so-called College Football Food Chain.

When you leave you leave with class and John L. did not do that.

John L is really a classless person. I dont feel sorry for him at all. He is so borish and harsh. As for Franchione, I had no idea that he threw his players under a bus the way that he did.

cuseroc Wrote:

Maize Wrote:I am now feeling a little sorry for John L. but Karma is a B!tch. I was not made that he left of Michigan State at the time but it was his actions afterward. Calling out the UofL fanbase for no reason and telling UofL fans they need to know where they are on the so-called College Football Food Chain.

When you leave you leave with class and John L. did not do that.

John L is really a classless person. I dont feel sorry for him at all. He is so borish and harsh. As for Franchione, I had no idea that he threw his players under a bus the way that he did.

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.