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Here's the text of commentaries heard regularly on ESPNRadio:
Fowler: Real miracles
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2003
Extra Point -- Chris Fowler (morning): "Do you believe in miracles? Not the sports variety -- not hockey teams pulling upsets to win gold medals -- but real miracles. Whether you do or not, I'd like to tell you the story of John Hessler. He's a former quarterback at Colorado. Was a hero in big wins over A&M and Oklahoma back in '95. Went on to teach science and teach JV High school football in Colorado. Six weeks ago Hessler was rear ended in a hit-and-run, his car smashed by a truck. The prognosis was grim. CAT scans did not show much brain activity, and for 33 days John Hessler lay in a coma. Slowly, he began to show signs, and then last Friday John Hessler woke up, began talking, cracking jokes, asking for popcorn. Soon he'll leave the hospital and head to a rehab facility, and hopes are strong for a 100 percent recovery. To John's friends, family, loved ones, and teammates, well, they do believe in miracles, and for them this is a very special Thanksgiving weekend."
Extra Point -- John Anderson (afternoon): "Best coaching job in college football this season? Easy. Look no farther than Oklahoma. Well, you may want to look about 130 miles northeast of Norman, Okla., because the guy who has done the best job on campus isn't in charge of the top ranked OU Sooners. No. The head coach who should be collecting all the bouquets is Steve Kragthorpe at the University of Tulsa. In his first season with the Golden Hurricane, Kragthorpe took a team that had lost 21 of its last 22 and produced a stunning '180.' TU is a remarkable 8-4, second in the WAC, bowl-eligible after consecutive one-win seasons. One year at Tulsa, and Kragthorpe has ended a streak of 11 straight losing seasons, a jag of 17 straight losses on grass, a run of laughter that had reduced a once-proud program to the brink of Division I-AA status. The real beauty is that Kragthorpe's formula is grade-school simple: make everybody feel as important and accountable as the head coach. Coach, player, manager, trainer, equipment guy? Doesn't matter. If anybody breaks down, everybody breaks down. Instead, thanks to Kragthorpe, Tulsa is breaking out."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Pittsburgh (afternoon): "And so we wait, marking time while Oklahoma and USC are at a rest stop on their road to the national championship game in New Orleans. The Sooners have another eight days until they face Kansas State in the Big 12 title game at Arrowhead Stadium. Same goes for the Trojans, who await a home finale next Saturday against Oregon State. In the meantime we're occupied with the Big East and the SEC. Here at Heinz Field tomorrow night, the Pittsburgh Panthers try to play the role of spoiler and prevent the Miami Hurricanes from winning the Big East championship and a likely berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl. While the 'Canes are a slight favorite here, two things are working against them. One, the weather will not exactly be welcoming to a team from South Florida. Two, neither will wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. This is the Pittsburgh sophomore's last chance to show voters nationwide that a wide receiver with skills like his is worthy of winning the Heisman. If the Panthers pull off the upset, then they themselves could wind up in the FedEx Orange Bowl. You can see Miami and Pittsburgh tomorrow at 8 Eastern on ABC.

"While LSU was doing its part against Arkansas today to figure out who'll be in the SEC title game, the muddle picture in the East could be sorted out tomorrow. Believe it or not, two non-conference games will help tell the story. Because the conference athletic directors decided to break their unbreakable, three-way tie with the BCS rankings, Georgia's visit to Georgia Tech, and Florida's home game against Florida State become must-wins. Same goes for Tennessee, which visits Kentucky tomorrow, and an upset win by the Wildcats would give Florida control of its destiny. Now if Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all win, then it would appear Georgia would advance on the basis of a higher ranking in the BCS -- if some high-falutin' computer program doesn't throw everybody a last-second curveball."

Smith: Thankful thoughts
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2003 -- THANKSGIVING
Extra Point -- Shelley Smith (morning): "My mother called this morning to say this was going to be the best Thanksgiving ever. Sure, I thought as she prattled on, she has a lot to be thankful for this year. My father's blood tests came back negative, her skin cancer remains in remission, and my sister's kids have gone almost an entire month without seeing the inside of an emergency room. 'No,' she cried breathlessly, 'I won the football pool this week.' Every football Sunday for as long as I can remember, mom has sat in front of the TV, watching games and anxiously waiting for scores, cursing those who won when she picked them to lose and vice versa. When she realized last Sunday that she had just two losses, she stayed up and watched the entire Tampa Bay-Giants game Monday night to make sure the Bucs won, which made her 14-2 on the week. Dad said she sat by the fax machine all day Tuesday waiting for the pool commissioner to send results and shrieked with glee as she read her name atop the list. Alas, her Thanksgiving thrill was short-lived. 'Who do you like -- Detroit or Green Bay?' she asked."
Extra Point -- Dan Le Batard (afternoon): "Among the things I'm thankful for today: Barry Bonds, left field; Alex Rodríguez, opposite field; Danté Hall, open field. Don Zimmer's face, Don King's hair, John Wooden's ears, Mike Singletary's eyes -- still -- Ray Lewis' nose for the football, even Warren Sapp's mouth. I'm thankful for Thanksgiving turkey, Thanksgiving family, Thanksgiving football -- except for that part about the Detroit Lions. I'm thankful for underdogs, shots at the buzzer, and down the stretch they come, plays at the plate, penalty shots, swaying stadiums, tailgating, celebrations and championship-chasing teams uniting their communities like nothing outside of war and, yeah, ESPN deciding that yammering sports writers would make for good for programming. I'm thankful for that, too. I'm thankful for the class and professional grace of Mike Lowell, Peyton Manning, Sean Casey, Eddie George, Mark Grace, Alonzo Mourning and just about everyone in hockey. In short, I'm thankful for sports."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "As has been our custom for 11 years on this holiday, we take this time to point out what we have to be thankful for as sports fans. No matter where you are, you have something to celebrate. In New York, it's knowing baseball season is barely four months away. In Los Angeles, be thankful for the Lakers, who provide great theater, even when they don't mean to do so. In Chicago and Boston, your baseball teams may rip your hearts out, but they do give you reason to fall in love again every spring and summer -- and maybe some day soon, they'll do the same thing in the fall. In Detroit, you're thankful the Tigers could not count to 120. In Washington, you might not love 'The Ol' Ball Coach' right now, so why not be thankful for 14-year-old soccer phenom Freddy Adu? San Francisco can be thankful for an MVP who keeps blasting baseballs into McCovey Cove. Hey, Dallas, how 'bout them Cowboys this year? Houston, you don't have a problem; you have a Super Bowl to be thankful for in a couple months. In Atlanta, you're thankful plenty of tickets are always available for any game you want to see. And Miami fans can be thankful that between the Dolphins and Hurricanes, they have four starting quarterbacks. Whether or not we got to your city just now, I'll have a Thanksgiving thought for everyone in a minute.

"In recent holidays past, we've offered thanks simply for being able to have diversions to take our minds off the challenges faced by terrorism and war. As we celebrate the 2003 edition of this holiday, we are well aware we cannot yet take these issues for granted. In respect to those families who still have loved ones overseas, we remind ourselves the games and teams and athletes we celebrate are just part of a much bigger fabric. We are thankful, indeed, that we can remind ourselves not to take that for granted. Ever"

Scott: Running on
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2003
Extra Point -- Stuart Scott (morning): "An ESPN Radio 'Extra Point' run-on sentence about everything from the fact that as much as I love 'A-Rod' as a baseball player, I firmly believe a guy on a last-place team should never win the MVP Award, because he wasn't valuable enough to even move his team up in the BCS that I still don't fully understand, nor do I think I ever will, but the more I hear about whether LSU or Michigan will play Oklahoma -- assuming Oklahoma wins out -- or USC will play Oklahoma -- assuming USC wins out -- the more I miss when I was little, and me and my brother, Stephen, would go over to my dad's friend J.W.'s house and watch all the bowl games before they became sponsored, which makes me so sad that Alonzo Mourning had to retire, because I know this guy is one of the most intense warriors in sports as well as one of the most charitable athletes in recent history, which should make 2003 go down as the first time a sophomore wins the Heisman Trophy, because Larry Fitzgerald is the best player in the country and next year might go to the NFL, where Marvin Lewis and Bill Parcells should share the Coach of the Year, awarding LeBron James, already, for not being a perfect player but definitely being a team player the NBA will love. Period."
Extra Point -- Jay Mariotti (afternoon): "Six years and 293 losses ago, the Chicago Bulls were the hottest spectacle in sports. They were no more ready to be dismantled than the sleekest Porsche, but there was a problem in the house -- dissension that divided a egomaniacal general manager, who craved credit and a superstar, and head coach, who truly deserved the credit. A good owner never would have let a beautiful thing crumble, understanding the fortune of being blessed with Michael Jordan. But Jerry Reinsdorf foolishly sided with his GM Jerry Krause, prompting Jordan and Phil Jackson to depart as promised. 'We want to build our own dynasty,' Krause harrumphed. Today the Bulls are the biggest laughingstock in sports, having frittered away the momentum of six NBA championships. Krause was forced out after a series of comical rebuilding plans, leaving a mess that successor John Paxson must clean up. This week, after a 4-11 start, the franchise will hire its fourth coach since 1998. Congratulations, Jerry and Jerry. You are 'Co-Turkeys of the Year.'"
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "It tomorrow is Thanksgiving, it has to mean three things: the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions and a turkey. Only last year it seemed you couldn't tell the three of them apart. Now there's one entry that does not fit into this picture. 'Gobble, gobble' has been replaced with 'The Big Tuna' in Dallas, where the 8-3 Cowboys host the 7-4 Miami Dolphins tomorrow afternoon. Is it too soon to make Parcells the NFL Coach of the Year? Meanwhile, Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt his own challenges. First, there was the quarterback controversy between Jay Fiedler and Brian Griese. Then there's the schedule, which includes tomorrow's game at Dallas, a visit to New England and a Christmas week trip into frigid Buffalo. There's also the matter of Philadelphia and even the lowly Jets, both of whom visit Pro Player Stadium, where the Dolphins are no better than a .500 team this year. Folks, can you say 'hot seat'? Those words also apply to Matt Millen. We'll consider the Lions' Thanksgiving challenge in a minute.

"Used to be the Lions and the Packers were as much a part of Thanksgiving as that after-dinner nap. They met every year in Detroit from 1951 to 1963, but they've only met three Thanksgivings since. The Packers return to the Motor City tomorrow, a touchdown favorite to continue their charge at the division-leading Minnesota Vikings. But this could be a trap for the Packers. Even when you throw in all the Lombardi years, the Packers are only 5-10-1 all-time in holiday visits to Detroit. Maybe this is just what the doctor ordered for Lions president Matt Millen, who is under tremendous pressure to get this team out of last place. Joey Harrington needs to step up tomorrow, or else the Lions are assured of their third straight losing season under Millen's watch."

Gomez: Cards should eye Eli
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2003
Extra Point -- Pedro Gómez (morning): "That the Arizona Cardinals are once again circling the drain to another NFL season is certainly no surprise. This is a franchise that entered the 2003 season with a 60-100 record in the previous decade. But something strange has happened to the Cardinals this season. They've lost their longstanding dance partner. The Cincinnati Bengals were always mentioned in the same sentence as the Cardinals when it came to futility, but under first-year coach Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati has broken away from its tag-team partner and sits in a first-place tie atop the AFC North standings. The Cardinals are now alone in the NFL's basement, left to lament their standing as the most laughable franchise in the sport. Where do the Cardinals turn from here? Well, if they can somehow hold true to form, maybe they can manage to line up in the next draft for Ole Miss' Eli Manning, this year's prized college quarterback."
Extra Point -- Dan Davis (afternoon): "Let's all just back off a little bit on the torching of Kenyon Martin. Yes, he's a disaster waiting to happen, and yes, he has a lot to learn about what it takes to win as a team in big-time sports, but it's way unfair to foster any degree of dislike for Kenyon Martin based on the ending of Alonzo Mourning's career. OK, Martin and Mourning did not exactly hit it off on the Nets, but flare-ups between players at practice happen all the time, and the childish exchange between Martin and Mourning at practice last week was fairly typical. One guy laughs at another. The other makes a wise crack. The first guy then comes back with as mean a response as he can think of. They worked it out that day, actually. Look at it this way: Kenyon Martin feels as bad as he can possibly feel today. Maybe this experience is going to contribute to making Kenyon Martin a better man -- and a better teammate. Maybe from now on he will think just a little before shooting his mouth off. Maybe. Maybe not."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "There were no stunners coming out of the BCS computers yesterday. Oklahoma is No. 1, and USC is No. 2. I realize the number geeks might find a way to mess this up, but let's pretend like we're not skeptics for at least a couple minutes. Let's go ahead and pencil the Sooners and Trojans into New Orleans on Jan. 4 to play for all the Nokias in the Sugar Bowl. Yes, Kansas State and Oregon State might have something to say about all this, but I think Oklahoma is the obvious class of the field, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the athletes and coaches at USC. It's the matchup everyone wants right now.

"If the road to New Orleans doesn't have any potholes for Oklahoma and USC, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will get first dibs on a team to replace the Big 12-champion Sooners. With a win at Texas A&M this Friday, the Texas Longhorns would appear to be that team. As we've mentioned before, it would appear ACC champion Florida State will get the other spot in Tempe. The Rose Bowl would lose USC, so who would it match up with Big Ten champ Michigan? With Washington State's loss at Washington, it now appears the SEC champ -- perhaps either Georgia or LSU -- will get the call. That leaves the FedEx Orange Bowl, where they're hoping Miami can take care of business Saturday night at Pittsburgh. If that happens, the 'Canes could find themselves playing against a very familiar adversary. Would you believe a rematch of last year's championship game with the Ohio State Buckeyes? In case you're wondering what would happen if Miami were to lose at Pittsburgh this week, then West Virginia stands ready to jump in to the Orange Bowl simply by beating 1-10 Temple. Well, there is some stipulation about rankings that could come into play. Folks, I probably shouldn't have used the word 'simply.' After all, we're talking about the BCS."

Le Batard: NFL remains the star
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2003
Extra Point -- Dan Le Batard (morning): "How do you measure fame, celebrity, star power, and does the NFL have any players who qualify as stars given your definition? You'd recognize Shaquille O'Neal, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Yao Ming, Sammy Sosa, 'A-Rod' or Barry Bonds if they walked down the street -- as would many housewives and others who don't necessarily care about sports -- but where are the stars from football you'd recognize? You think the Oprah fan would recognize Ray Lewis walking down the street? Peyton Manning? Brett Favre? Randy Moss? Football is our most popular sport, but it doesn't translate in fame that crosses over. There are football fans who couldn't tell you what Priest Holmes and Steve McNair look like no matter how excellent they are. Part of the problem is playing a game that conceals the famous face literally with a mask in a way Kobe Bryant's face isn't concealed, which is why Bill Parcells might be the league's biggest star. You can actually see what he looks like during action. This league is good at selling itself and its teams but not as good at creating stars."
Extra Point -- Trey Wingo (afternoon): "It's a shame nobody really seemed to care about the Presidents Cup this weekend, because it may have produced the single, most exciting and pressure-filled sports moment of the year as well as the single greatest display of sportsmanship, something all sports seem to be lacking these days. The team golf competition between America and the world ended tied at 17, and in a golfing first, Tiger and Ernie Els played a sudden-death match to determine the winner. And the winner was: everybody. Tiger drained a huge, 12-foot putt for par on the third playoff hole to keep the match going, but when the sun wouldn't cooperate, the Americans and the Internationals decided nobody deserved to lose. The match ended in a tie. Both sides will share the cup until they play again in 2005. Woods putt showed once again he's the one athlete going who's impervious to pressure, and the decision by team captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to share the title showed once again that, at it's core, golf is a game based in etiquette and sportsmanship. Why can't they all be that way?"
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "It's usually hard to get excited about a couple 4-6 teams getting together for Monday Night Football, but I love the prospect of the Super Bowl-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the New York Giants tonight. Just consider the subplots. First and foremost is life without Keyshawn Johnson. Has his surprise invitation to get out of town turned into a distraction for the Buccaneers? It could be just the opposite. Reading between the lines, it says here the Bucs might be so happy to see him gone, they'll respond with a tremendous effort -- at least tonight. As for the rest of the season, that mountain Carolina has built looks like it'll be too much to climb in the NFC South, but a return to the playoffs are not completely out of the question for Jon Gruden and the Bucs. After tonight their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records -- Jacksonville, New Orleans, Houston and Atlanta. A five-game winning streak is not out of the question. With all due respect to the 'one game at a timers,' the champs' wild-card fate could come down to a visit to Tennessee in Week 17. Folks, for a team that has suffered four losses after the two-minute warning, you never know.

"After losing to Atlanta two weeks ago, Giants coach Jim Fassel challenged his players, asking, 'Are you guys trying to get me fired?' Maybe Fassel was trying to get the same results he did three years ago, when his guarantee of a playoff berth triggered a seven-game winning streak that didn't end until Super Bowl XXXV. But those Giants were 7-4 at the time. These Giants are not, and last week they responded to Fassel's question with a losing answer at Philadelphia. It appears the coach overplayed his hand here. With Dallas and Carolina at the end of the schedule, Fassel may have greased the skids for an inevitable exit. You can see the Giants and the Buccaneers tonight at 9 Eastern on ABC."

Davis: Rivalry's debt to society
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2003
Extra Point -- Rece Davis (morning): "Terry Barnum is a former USC football player about to earn his PhD, but he flunked the Victory Bell. Barnum never beat UCLA. Says he'd give anything to play them again. Even that degree? Rivalry weekend: when rational perspective gives way to irrational lust for Old Oaken Buckets and Sweet Sioux Tomahawks. Families hit with dissension, discord, even divorce as a result of fractured loyalties. You don't just play the rival; you live the rivalry -- like Jeff Renne, the Ohio State fan who cut a deal to plead guilty to forgery so the judge would delay his trip to a state prison facility where TV was off limits and leave him in county jail long enough to watch the Buckeyes and Michigan today. Who knows? He could've walked on a technicality or something if he doesn't plead out, but paying a debt to society is a small price to ensure that he didn't miss the game. So Renne's no PhD, but he's got his Masters in theory of rivalry."

McKendry: Wowed by Adu
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2003
Extra Point -- Chris McKendry (morning): "Freddy Adu. Wow, and I thought my TV would be wall-to-wall Britney Spears this holiday season. Just when you think celebrities can't get younger, well, at least Adu has a talent. The 14-year-old will play for D.C. United next season. He already has a multimillion-dollar deal with Nike. Listening to Adu on the dozen or so talk shows that he's hit, I imagine companies are drooling over the well-spoken pitchman. Adu, born in Ghana, is now the great American soccer hope. Fourteen years before the 14-year-old Adu was born, another phenom embarked on a career. Martina Navratilova made her Federation Cup debut in 1975 for the former Czechoslovakia. Like Adu, she fled her native land for the United States. Yesterday she improved her Fed Cup record to 38-0 and helped secure a berth in the final for Team USA. Forty-seven-year-old Martina kept hope alive. So good luck, 14-year-old Freddy. We'll check in with you in 33 years."
Extra Point -- Chris Fowler (afternoon): "Saturday, John Vaught will leave his farm in Lafayette County, Miss., and head over to Oxford for the biggest Ole Miss football game since the era when Vaught himself coached. Now Johnny is a spry, 94½ years old, hits golf balls every day -- even goes around 18 holes all the time -- and he'll be pumped up to watch this game, because LSU is in town, and the 'Bayou Bengals' and Rebels were the biggest of rivals back in Vaught's days. They used to deny each other SEC championships all the time. Vaught's Rebels won six conference titles with the last in '63. Saturday might be their day. It's the last home game for the last Manning son, Eli, who has 45 school records. Extra poignant for Vaught, who, of course, coached Eli's father, Archie. Eli. Imagine the ovation he'll get when he walks out on the field. A chance to beat LSU and finally deliver an SEC championship. For his sake, for Johnny Vaught's sake, I hope he can do it, but LSU has a lot to play for. They're awfully tough. It'll be very difficult."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "If we can put aside computer controversies and renewed rivalries for a minute, I have to admit I'm really looking forward to my trip to Lubbock, Texas, this weekend. I really want to see what B.J. Symons can do. Even though he's thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns, the Texas Tech senior is still a long shot to win the Heisman Trophy. In fact, he's no better than my No. 4 choice, but if he upsets top-ranked Oklahoma tomorrow, he could vault to the very top, right past my current leader -- Sooners quarterback Jason White. I like the fact White has come back from two major knee surgeries in the last two years. It also doesn't hurt that he's thrown for 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions, making him the nation's top-rated quarterback. My second Heisman choice is Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. He has a chance to make a big jump tomorrow when the Rebels host LSU. My third choice? It's running back Chris Perry of Michigan. With benchmark games against Notre Dame and Michigan State, Perry has exploded into the top three. What? No Larry Fitzgerald? I'll admit the Pittsburgh sophomore is the best wide-out in the country, but I don't think you can boost a receiver past a quarterback or a running back for the Heisman. Fitzgerald may be the flavor of the month, but the player of the year -- so far -- is Jason White. Many of you can see White and the Sooners visit Texas Tech tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern on ABC.

"Kansas State is a two-touchdown favorite at home tomorrow against Missouri, and a win would push the Wildcats into the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma in Kansas City. While the Sooners will be favored that night, the Wildcats will have the home-field advantage. You can count on 40,000 K-State fans making the two-hour trip from Manhattan to Kansas City. They'll turn Arrowhead Stadium into a loud sea of purple the night of Dec. 6."

Smith: Baseball hasn't gripped its problem
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2003
Extra Point -- Shelley Smith (morning): "There is a big stink brewing in Oakland amid reports that at least four of the Oakland Raiders have tested positive for steroids -- or it would be a big stink if anyone still cared. The names of the players, leaked from within the NFL, are not shocking, nor were any of them talking about the allegations, but again, who really cares? Bill Romanowski and Dan Stubblefield are old and injured, nobody has ever heard of Chris Cooper, and just about everyone figures Barret Robbins will say it was his other personality that injected that new, designer drug THG. About the only thing surprising about the whole situation is that Robbins, the Raiders and the word 'designer' were all in the same sentence. The real problem lies within Major League Baseball, which last week revealed that 5-7 percent of its players had tested positive. What happens if someone leaks the names of the baseball guilty? And what if those names are the biggest in the game? Then we've got full-fledged rot. For now, it's just the Raiders we smell, and with steroid use that's hardly anything new."
Extra Point -- Linda Cohn (afternoon): "Sure would make a great storyline if they wrote a sequel to that movie 'Any Given Sunday.' The story: the deactivation of Keyshawn Johnson. Keyshawn was the Buccaneers' third-leading receiver this year with 45 catches for 600 yards and three touchdowns, but that wasn't enough for Johnson, who's built a reputation for always wanting, in his words, 'the damn ball.' Last year Keyshawn didn't mind a lower profile; he got a Super Bowl ring out of it. But this season, with the Bucs winning just four of their first 10 games, Johnson has been visibly frustrated -- so much so that team management had seen enough and shelved him. He'll likely be playing somewhere else next year. I agree with the Buccaneers' decision. The defending Super Bowl champs, fighting to save their season, do not need more negativity, even if it's coming from a star player. Johnson says he wants to go to a team that appreciates his abilities. I just get the feeling there is no team that can ever make Keyshawn live happily ever after."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "With all the hue and cry about who should be No. 2 in the BCS computers this week, we almost forgot about who's No. 6 -- or who should be. Should it be TCU? Should the Horned Frogs have a shot at a major bowl payday if they go undefeated? Before the U.S. Senate sets sail on a 30-hour filibuster on behalf of the little guys, let's make sure the Horned Frogs do their part. With apologies to winless SMU, the Frogs' last real challenge comes tonight in Hattiesburg against Southern Mississippi. Despite being 10-0, TCU is a field-goal underdog here in Nevada. Maybe it's the home-field advantage. Maybe it's the nation's seventh-ranked pass defense that could give quarterback Brandon Hassell fits. Maybe it's just that the Frogs can't get any respect. Whatever the case, they can't complain about the exposure they're getting tonight to impress the voters. You can see TCU and Southern Miss tonight at 7:30 Eastern on ESPN.

"For the sake of this discussion, let's pencil Oklahoma into the Sugar Bowl, but I'm not so sure who'll be No. 2. Who is? The only thing that'll make it easy on everyone is if Michigan beats Ohio State this weekend. Then it should be USC going against the Sooners on the Bayou. The Fiesta Bowl figures to match Texas against ACC champion Florida State. The Orange Bowl will go with the Big East champion -- probably Miami -- against the winner of the SEC championship -- either Georgia or LSU. That's right; I'm saying the 'Bayou Bengals' will win at Ole Miss on Saturday. That leaves a confusing picture for the Rose Bowl, which could have any two of these five teams -- Michigan, Ohio State, USC, Washington State or maybe even TCU. The Frogs haven't had this heady a bowl dream since they tied Air Force in a scoreless Cotton Bowl 45 years ago. Folks, where's Bob Lilly when you really need him?"

Schaap: Genius grants
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2003
Extra Point -- Jeremy Schaap (morning): "A few months ago they were the two hottest commodities in football-proven winners, head coaches in the ultimate coach's sport, young and bright. We'd already labeled them geniuses. Now Jon Gruden can't beat the Carolina Panthers, and Tyrone Willingham barely beat Navy. Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers look very ordinary, and Willingham's Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been awful. In fairness to Gruden and Willingham, they didn't call themselves geniuses; we, the media, decided to rank them with Lombardi and Rockne. Of course, this is nothing new. Coaches' reputations have always fluctuated wildly. Remember when Dick Vermeil was too old? Remember when Joe Torre was fired -- by the Braves, the Mets and the Cardinals? In coaching, one day you're a big hero, the next you're Grady Little. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."
Extra Point -- Jay Mariotti (afternoon): "Normally, soccer holds no bigger place in my life than curling and old Tiny Tim records, but times have changed. In the same year I paid to see 'Bend It Like Beckham' at the movies, now there's much Adu about something. The kid's name is Freddy Adu, he's a mere 14 years old, and yes, he has soccer atop the headlines today. Next spring he'll become the youngest professional, team-sport athlete in our country's history. Just as we get used to LeBron James in the NBA, now we have the unthinkable concept of a post-pubescent teen playing Major League Soccer. In a sport long ignored by the American masses and media, Adu's signing has created the biggest buzz since -- since -- dare I say -- ever? Adu has a chance to do what no U.S. soccer player has done. He actually may tempt snobs like me -- you know, the slice of ESPN society that discriminates against games other than football, baseball, hoops, hockey, golf and Britney Spears -- to follow his career. He's a first, a homegrown phenom spurning the mighty British premiership to stay home and play in a heretofore forgotten league. All I have to say is he'd better be good, because if this is much Adu about nothing, just a manufactured attempt to pique interest and sell Nike shoes, I'll corner-kick soccer out of my life forever." SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "Who's the most unlikely first-place team in the NFL? That's easy, right? The Cincinnati Bengals. Even though they're only 5-5, they're tied with Baltimore atop the mediocre AFC North. They even hold the tiebreaker, so the Bengals actually control their divisional destiny. Imagine that. Frankly, I'm not that surprised. No, I didn't think 5-5 would rate as the best in any division on Nov. 19, but early this season it was clear Marvin Lewis had the Bengals turned in the right direction. If there's one game that convinced me of this, it was their opener. They may have lost to Denver by 20 points, but the Bengals made Jake Plummer look very, very bad. This past Sunday they humbled the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Folks, that was no fluke. Lewis had the best team on the field this past week, and let's not forget they've won four in a row on their muddy home field. They won't have that luxury this weekend when they visit San Diego. Can the Bengals hold on and win the AFC North? Why not? Then again, why? Folks, if you're looking for me to pick a winner here, forget about it. No one can.

"A month ago the Minnesota Vikings were cruising to the championship in the NFC North. Now the Vikings are in full retreat, losing their fourth in a row. They should get a booster shot Sunday when they host the Detroit Lions, but after that, they have to deal with the likes of the Rams, the Seahawks and the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the 5-5 Green Bay Packers lurk only a game off the pace. They looked downright resourceful in last weekend's victory at Tampa Bay, and this Sunday they have the San Francisco 49ers coming in to Lambeau Field on only five days' rest. In fact, the Pack won't face a team with a winning record again until they close the season at home against Denver. Looks like that tundra is getting just a bit more frozen in the NFC North."

Anderson: Enforcement measures needed on steroids
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2003
Extra Point -- John Anderson (morning): "So now the powers-that-be in pro sports are pounding their chest again in outrage over 'roid rage and the apparent, widespread use of a newly detected, designer steroid. THG -- that's the easy spelling, the easy pronunciation. So now comes the hard part. The NFL and Major League Baseball have to add some muscle to their performance-enhancing-drug policies. A four-game suspension for a first offense in the NFL is soft, and baseball's multitiered policy ending with a one year suspension only after a fifth positive test is a joke of a joke. You know what a first positive in the track and field world carries? Two years -- and that covers everything from steroids to the wrong cough medicine. There are also four-year and lifetime bans. That'll make you think twice before plunging a needle in your butt. Still, athletes try to get over on the system, which is why U.S. pro leagues need to commit both monetarily and morally to keep up, to vigilantly test, aggressively enforce and harshly punish 'juicers.'"
Extra Point -- Dan Davis (afternoon): "A year ago at this time George Steinbrenner was ordering his Yankee front office to put a stop to ridiculous overspending on talent. Now with another Matsui on the market, another 100 mph Cuban defector about to be on the market, and with Alex Rodríguez apparently being peddled to clubs which can afford him, one can only imagine how high Steinbrenner's Yankee payroll is going to go before the next opening day. He paid José Contreras $32 million for four years and fell just short. So what's another $32 million for Maels Rodríguez, fresh from his Cuban defection and ready to heave it 100 mph. Get out the checkbook and have two Matsuis in the lineup instead of one. And while he's at it, Steinbrenner may just shell out another $30 million-$40 million to have Gary Sheffield as his right fielder. Bottom line is this: Despite all the whining when the new CBA went into effect, G. Steinbrenner is as willing, ready and able as ever to spend what it takes to get his team back on top, and that is exactly what he is going to do."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "Just when you thought the BCS was going to have a rare, quiet year, the computers decided to stage a revolt. It's not who's No. 1; everyone and everything agree it's Oklahoma. This Saturday the Sooners travel to a potential stumbling block in Lubbock, where they have to deal with passing whiz B.J. Symons and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. To give you an idea of the possibility for trouble here, consider the Sooners were a 53-point favorite against Baylor. This week they're only a 19-point pick here in Vegas to beat the Red Raiders. These are the same Red Raiders who drove the Texas Longhorns to the brink of an upset three nights ago in Austin. Speaking of the Longhorns, it appears almost certain that if Oklahoma and Texas both win out, the Longhorns will be selected to take the Big 12 spot in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, but all that's easy to figure out. What about these computers?

"Thanks to a The New York Times computer, Ohio State has vaulted past the Trojans into second place in the BCS rankings. BCS advocates are urging calm here, saying this is a work in progress. Try telling that to the 2001 Oregon Ducks, who deserved a berth in the title game against Miami. The traditional polls agreed, but the computers did not. That brings me to my biggest question about this system. If humans agree on who's number one and who's number two, then why get the computers involved? Shouldn't the BCS only be used to settle disputes? I could see using a complicated formula if the polls couldn't decide between Ohio State and USC, but the consensus is that the Trojans should have the edge. Michigan is favored to beat Ohio State this Saturday in Ann Arbor, and if that happens, and if USC takes care of UCLA, then friends of the BCS will be lucky -- very lucky -- while they say 'I told you so.'"

Le Batard: Anarchy reigns
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2003
Extra Point -- Dan Le Batard (morning): "Yeah, this college football season makes sense. Penn State is 3-8. Notre Dame is 4-6. So Penn State and Notre Dame, combined, haven't won as much as undefeated Texas Christian? Miami doesn't lose a regular-season game for three years then loses twice from one Saturday to the next. We know Oklahoma is really good, and USC is really good at offense, and we don't know much else. There might be a two-loss team playing the Sooners for the championship. Texas lost to Oklahoma by 52 but can get a rematch no one wants to see. And then there is lurking Ohio State, always winning despite this tiny, minor problem of not ever being able to score. Ohio State didn't even have the most fortuitous, missed kick this weekend, though. That belonged to Virginia Tech, which needed one on an overtime extra point against Temple. Temple? Temple? In overtime against a ranked team? Yeah, Temple. I give up. College football isn't merely unpredictable. It's anarchy."
Extra Point -- Trey Wingo (afternoon): "Eight-and-eight, and you win the division. It could happen in the AFC North, and you know what? It could be the Cincinnati Bengals that walk away with the crown. With their win over the previously undefeated Chiefs on Sunday, Marvin Lewis' team is now 5-5. And because the other team in the AFC North that's 5-5 is the Baltimore Ravens -- a team the Bengals have already beaten once -- the rest of the division 10 games into the season is looking up at the Bengals right now. But Cincinnati has a long way to go. The difference between first and last in the AFC North right now is one game. Despite being the poster children for NFL dysfunction, the Browns look like they could be ready to roll. If Baltimore can get decent quarterback play, they certainly have a chance to win it all. And look out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They win Monday night against the Niners, and they could be right back in this thing. So you celebrate for now, Cincinnati, but you don't get into the postseason party for getting to first in your division. You get the invite for staying there when the 16th game is over and done with."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "First, it was the Browns, then the Rams, then the Dolphins. Now the NFL's newest quarterback controversy could be going west to San Francisco. OK, so there really should be no debate, right? If he's healthy, it's Jeff García. Since he's not, it's Tim Rattay who gets the call tonight when the Pittsburgh Steelers roll in to play the 49ers at 'The 'Stick' -- or whatever they're calling it now. Now this isn't like Cleveland's dysfunction junction, where Tim Couch was being cheered when injured. It's not like Saint Louis, where Kurt Warner just couldn't win. And it's not like Miami, where no one can get a hot hand. García has been a winner until this year, but if Rattay looks good and gets the 49ers back to .500 tonight, then it's his bandwagon that could be rolling. Don't think García is ignoring all this. As he put it last week, 'The fact someone can be pushed aside so easily bothers me.' Hey, Jeff? Welcome to San Francisco, the town that called for Joe Montana's benching somewhere between the second and third of his four Super Bowl championships.

"When the Pittsburgh Steelers heard they'd be going against Tim Rattay tonight in San Francisco, they might have thought they were catching a break. Instead of Jeff García, they're going against a little-known, second-year man out of Louisiana Tech. But two weeks ago the St. Louis Rams found out Rattay can be a load to deal with, and since the Steelers' pass defense has had problems this year, it could be a long night. Still, there's one stat that's hard to figure that plays into the Steelers' hands. The road team has won eight of the first 10 Monday Night games this season. In other words, the 49ers may be a four-point favorite here on 'The Strip,' but let the home team beware when it comes to Monday Night Football in 2003. You can see the Steelers and 49ers tonight at 9 Eastern, 6 Pacific time, on ABC."