Scattershooting while saying goodbye to fired Clemson's Tommy Bowden and Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin as 81-year old Joe Paterno might take Penn State all the way ...

THUMBS UP: My underrated candidate last week, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, waylaid Missouri and Chase Daniel 38-23. Props to long-awaited Ute Aiona Key for using his speed and frame to block a Wyoming punt and score on a 5-yard return. Hats off to BYU's defense whose 12 fumble recoveries is three times that of a year ago with six games left.

THUMBS DOWN: Wyoming and coach Joe Glenn and it is by a thumb, not a finger. The Pokes now have 27 turnovers and in league games have been outscored 131-10. Daniel, the Heisman hopeful at Missouri hadn't thrown a pick in 22 quarters but Oklahoma State defenders, on Daniel's own turf, intercepted him three times on Saturday.

THEY SAID IT: Two years ago after losing to Air Force, the league reprimanded UNM coach Rocky Long after a 24-7 loss when he protested a fourth-down mark by officials. He also said the Lobos were "unfairly" called for holding during a Falcon running play. "It was a one-sided officiated game, yes. So they can reprimand my a--." In UNM's 21-3 loss at BYU, Long criticized a block in the back call on his O-line tackle that nullified a Lobo touchdown, calling it "criminal" and "ridiculous" and that one team "had pull" and the other did not.

At 3:16 p.m., on Monday, we learned of Long's second reprimand for Saturday's comments in 24 months. If the two had come in the same season, he'd have to miss games with a suspension.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Firepower in the Mountain West? Utah and BYU are almost dead even. BYU leads the league in scoring at 37.83 and the Utes are second at 37.57, good for No. 17 and 18 in the nation respectively. In MWC stats, BYU ranks first in 10 of 23 categories.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: Since Mike Leach scattered magic dust when in Norman and the Big 12 embraced the spread pass attack from Boulder via Boise State to Austin, that league's QBs are on fire. Big 12 QBs threw a combined 416 passes with 71 percent accuracy for 22 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions.

MWC quarterbacks have a ways to go. Outside Max Hall, the league is juggling QBs and who are fairly inconsistent. On Saturday, MWC QBs were 103 for 282 (.365 accuracy) for 1,095 yards, 7 interceptions and 4 touchdowns; Hall had 3 of the 4.

MY MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Go with Cougar junior receiver Austin Collie. He's never had the honor, but he will end up the school's all-time leading receiver. His fourth 100-yard game came against the Lobos Saturday (9 catches for 155 yards). He ranks among the NCAA's top wide receivers in average yards (112.7 ypg), receptions (7.8 cpg) and total receiving yards (673 ypg).

YEAH, BUT: On Saturday, MWC signal callers had a combined pass efficiency rating of 68.86 and that included BYU's Hall, who had a 159.29 rating.

TRENDSETTERS: It's a downward spiral and could lead to no bowl for the first time in 33 years as Michigan lost to Toledo, scoring just 10 points against a team that was 1-4 and lost 35-16 to Florida International. This was worse than the loss to Appalachian State last year. At Clemson and Auburn, heads roll for less.

OVERRATED: LSU and the rotating QBs. How can you be ranked that high and give up 51?

UNDERRATED: Tulsa is 6-0 and fields the best passing offense in the country but remains unranked.

BOTTOM LINE: TCU has 28 sacks this season and got four at then No. 1 Oklahoma and the visiting Cougars have given up just one sack in six games this season. One's gotta win out Thursday.

MY TOP FIVE: 1. Texas, 2. Alabama, 3. Penn State, 4. Texas Tech, 5. Florida.