Pat Forde

  (2:12 PM)

Sorry for the delayed arrival. Technical difficulties. Let's get going.

James (working, PA)

What are your thoughts on the apparent oversight of the national media regarding conference strength? Granted the SEC and Big 12 are tough, but the Big Ten is getting bashed! Last time I checked the Big Ten is still better off than the Big East, ACC, and Pac-10. Your thoughts?

Pat Forde

  (2:15 PM)

James: I don't see any oversight. The Big Ten is getting bashed for not producing a team worthy of playing a competitive game in the BCS National Championship -- and toward that end, yes, I'm glad Penn State lost. I don't think the Nittany Lions are championship material. I'm not going to tell you the Big East or ACC are better than the Big Ten, and probably not the Pac-10 either, but that doesn't mean I want a third sttraight year of watching a Big Ten team plotz in the title game.

Mike (LA)

Yesterday Beano Cook said "Missouri has a lot more in common with schools from the Big 10 than the Big 12." Was that his polite way of saying that the Big 12 has terrible academics?

Pat Forde

  (2:18 PM)

Mike: I don't think so. I went to Missouri and thought it was a pretty average state university, with the clear exception of the journalism school. (I'm not just saying that because I'm a J-school grad; it is nationally respected.) Anyway, I don't think Missouri is head and shoulders better than the rest of the Big 12 academically -- better than some, and probably worse than some.

Buzzmaster

  (2:21 PM)

Hey gang. I just heard from Pat. He's having some computer problems. But he'll be back on at 3 p.m. ET to chat!

Pat Forde

  (3:03 PM)

OK, let's try this again. Sorry for the issues. Here we go, hope for the best.

Matt (oh)

Do you think Steve Kragthorpe might be on the hot seat? I know Jurich says other wise, but you can't help but to wonder what state the program is in.

Pat Forde

  (3:04 PM)

Matt: If Tom Jurich says he's safe, he's safe. Jurich has dug in behind his coach and will absolutely give him a third year. Anything beyond that, we'll wait and see.

Adam (miami)

Pat, if Tebow leads the Gators to the national championship game against a team other than Texas Tech (because if I think if Tech makes it, Harrell or Crabtree deserve it), would Tebow be your choice of Heisman? Does the team success play a role in who you think deserves the Heisman?

Pat Forde

  (3:06 PM)

Adam: Team success definitely plays a role -- but you have to have a sensational individual year as well within the context of team success. Tebow has had a good year -- very good of late -- but not what he did last year. There are other QBs with similar or better records who have much better stats, so I'm not prepared to go there yet with Tebow.

Jenny (South Bend, IN)

Take this hypo: Texas wins out, OU wins out, and the final vote comes down to you. Who gets ranking higher, Sooners or Longhorns?

Pat Forde

  (3:07 PM)

Jenny: Good question and an easy question at the same time. I'll take the team that won the head-to-head meeting by 10 points on a neutral field. Texas. And it could come down to that very scenario, which will make for an interesting vote.

David (Chicago, IL)

Miami or VT tonight?

Pat Forde

  (3:08 PM)

David: If Tyrod Taylor is healthy I'll take VT. But we won't know how game-ready he is until we see him in warmups.

Blake (Abilene, TX)

Pat, Do you think that the coaches beeing forced to reveal their vote will move texas back ahead of Oklahoma and Florida in the Coaches Poll?

Pat Forde

  (3:10 PM)

Blake: I don't know what effect the public vote will have on that final ballot, but you better believe we'll be watching closely to see if there are any sudden shifts when that last poll is released.

Gerry (Windy City)

Yesterday Maisel ranked the top coaching jobs that have recently opened up. Who would the top coaching prospects be thus far, and where does Will Muschamp fit in? Do you think he stays with Texas?

Pat Forde

  (3:12 PM)

Gerry: I'll rank the openings thusly: 1. Clemson, 2. Tennessee, 3. Washington. As for the top candidates to fill them -- If Mike Leach or Tommy Tuberville want to move on (or if Tubs is asked to move on) they'll be very popular candidates for whatever is open. Then there is Lane Kiffin and Will Muschamp. Brian Kelly of Cincinnati is a hot name. Interesting to see that Brent Venables reportedly interviewed with Clemson. My gut feeling is that the top-tier jobs get filled without Muschamp, so he might stay at Texas.

German (San Juan, PR)

To follow up on Adam's question, isn't the Heisman decided before the SEC title game (and therefore, before we would know which SEC team goes to the BCS title game)?

Pat Forde

  (3:13 PM)

German: Nope, the last ballot must be sent in after the Dec. 6 games. So we get a chance to watch them all and evaluate them all.

Sweatervested1(mobile, al)

When will Alabama finally get some respect?

Pat Forde

  (3:13 PM)

Great question. Clearly, ranked #1 like that, they're being flagrantly disrespected.

Tyler (Cincinnat)

Hey Pat! What do you think the chances are that Cincinnati will run the table and win the Big East? Also, what bowl would they most likely go to and which BCS team would they best match up against? Especially after seeing them against Oklahoma earlier in the year. Will they have a chance against anyone?

Pat Forde

  (3:15 PM)

Tyler: I have to give Cincinnati its props. I was unimpressed early -- but the Bearcats have overcome some terrible luck at QB and rounded into a really solid team. I'd say Cincinnati has a decent chance to run it, though at Louisville and Pitt will both be tough. I'd say they'll still be well down the BCS pecking order (not much sizzle or much fan base) if they win the Big East, though.

Sparty (Detroit)

Pat, would it behoove more Big Ten teams to try and schedule some home and home's with SEC and Big 12 opponents? I know that beating those teams in bowls would definitely help with the Big Ten's reputation, but it doesn't seem like it would hurt to try and win against those teams early in the year. I know a scheduling wish is easier said than done.

Pat Forde

  (3:17 PM)

Sparty: Great suggestion. I'd hope the SEC and Big 12 teams would be open to such a thing, though history shows that most big-shot teams from big-shot leagues love loading up on September home games against Directional Tech. So I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Unfortunately.

Dyke (THE Ohio State)

What do you think of the OSU-Illinois game this weekend? OSU is angry and Illinois seems to be down, clear OSU victory?

Pat Forde

  (3:18 PM)

Dyke: I would think so, yes. I'd be shocked if Ohio State lost two years in a row to Illinois -- though I would have said the same thing before Louisville played Syracuse, too.

Amanda (Lexington)

Clemson is a better job than Tennessee??? Are you crazy! The Vols have better resources, a higher recruiting budget, better facilities, the SEC, etc. Or does being in the SEC make it a "tougher" job. I don't think coaches will shy from the UT job by admitting they are scared of the SEC.

Pat Forde

  (3:21 PM)

Amanda: Who says the Vols have better resources, facilities and recruiting budget? And being in the SEC is a detriment in this argument to me. Here's the question: would you rather make $3 million a year competing against Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Mark Richt, or $3 million a year competing against Al Groh, Ralph Friedgen and Tom O'Brien?

Greg (Champaign, IL)

Does Boise St. or Utah have a better shot of crashing the BCS party?

Pat Forde

  (3:22 PM)

Greg: Does the one-hour delay mean you're out of Physics class? I'd say Utah has a much better shot -- tougher schedule by far.

mike, columbus, OH

"I'd hope the SEC and Big 12 teams would be open to such a thing, though history shows that most big-shot teams from big-shot leagues love loading up on September home games against Directional Tech?" so why do you insist on ripping the BIg Ten's out of conference schedule?

Pat Forde

  (3:23 PM)

Mike: Show me where I ripped the Big Ten's OOC schedule.

JIm (Chicago)

4D Please tell me Notre Dame beats Navy...Please tell me that program does not look as bad as it seems 4D please help me!

Pat Forde

  (3:25 PM)

Jim: I don't have any divine insight on this, so anything I tell you should not affect your ability to function for the next 48 hours. Notre Dame is a little better than last year -- that's about it. If that translates into beating Navy, so be it. But Notre Dame is still a shadow of what it has been and could be.

Jimmy (Baton Rouge, LA)

Ok Pat, I'm reading your chat while in contracts so please answer. I am not too concerned with Troy this weekend, but with Jarrett Lee's knack for throwing touchdowns to the other team and a solid Ole Miss Squad heading into death vally in 2 weeks, should I be concerned?

Pat Forde

  (3:26 PM)

Jimmy: Yes, you should be concerned. The Jarrett Lee who I saw against Alabama was ghastly. Nothing personal against the kid, seems like a good guy, but if that's the best QB play LSU can get, the Tigers can lose to anyone.

Doug (Wellsboro, PA)

Hey 4D - any chance this is JoePa's last year? Who would follow him, Tom Bradley?

Pat Forde

  (3:27 PM)

Doug: From everything I've been told, expect Paterno back against next year. Bradley would be the guy -- if Paterno will ever step down.

Cosmo (Anytown, USA)

If Pat Fitzgerald punched Tressel after last week's game, would you have blamed him? Pretty classless moves by The Vest in that game.

Pat Forde

  (3:28 PM)

Cosmo: I'm not one to advocate violence, but yeah, that wass pretty classless. Fitz handled himself better than I might've.

Pete Carroll (Los Angeles, CA)

Any chance I get a share of the national title?

Pat Forde

  (3:29 PM)

Pete: Doubtful at this juncture. That first half in Corvallis could haunt your team all the way into January.

David (Washington, DC)

Pat, had Michigan State scheduled Podunk U. instead of Cal, they'd be considered a BCS contender right now instead of a BCS outsider. As long as this is the case, why would teams make their schedules tougher?

Pat Forde

  (3:30 PM)

David: I hear what you're saying -- but with a 38-point home loss to Ohio State, they wouldn't be a contender in my book.

Stephen (Atlanta)

Do style points matter to a voter?

Pat Forde

  (3:33 PM)

Stephen: Unfortunately they do matter to some people in some circumstances. I can tell you this: two weeks ago I spent the entire Saturday with Tulsa doing a behind-the-scenes story. I saw nothing else until later that night -- no games on TV, no highlights, finally caught up some by reading about the games Sunday morning, but still I was at the mercy of final scores as my primary information in a lot of instances. Well, that's how most head coaches are on football Saturday -- totally zeroed in on their game and oblivious to what's happening elsewhere. So if he sees 63-14, it looks better than 42-14. (When I cover games from the press box in a normal Saturday setting, I'm monitoring other games on my computer throughout the day and watching other games on TV. And so are all the other national writers. We do our best to keep up with everything.)

Joe (Austin)

It was classless having a backup QB hand the ball to a 3rd string RB, who ran through the defense? Wow, you really do hate Ohio St huh?

Pat Forde

  (3:35 PM)

Joe: Um, no. The problem was with the fake punt up three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes, and rushing in the final TD in the final seconds. Don't be selective with the facts.

Tom (Kalamazoo, MI)

Is the MAC better than people think or is the Big Ten much worse than people think?

Pat Forde

  (3:37 PM)

Tom: Gotta give the MAC some love, it has been a pretty plucky league this year. Ball State and Central Michigan over Indiana, Toledo over Michigan, Western Michigan over Illnois... not a bad body of work.

Kyle (Marietta Ga)

Pat, _____________ will lead the Tennessee Volunteers throught the Power T next year?

Pat Forde

  (3:38 PM)

Kyle: Don't hold me to it, but pencil "Tim Brewster" into that spot. That guy can really recruit.

Alan (Shreveport, LA)

So all it takes is a loss at home to Ole Miss or on the road to Oregon St. to be a contender? You know, as opposed to a last second defeat in horrid weather conditions to a VERY solid Iowa team.

Pat Forde

  (3:41 PM)

Alan: Florida has beaten -- no, murdered -- Georgia and LSU and soundly defeated Miami. If it also beats Florida State and Alabama, that's a lot stronger resume than anything Penn State puts together. But until it does that, Florida is only fifth on my ballot -- so the loss does matter. USC is sixth. Both on the outside looking in. As for VERY solid Iowa -- I'd disagree with your choice of adjective.

Andy *(tulsa ok)

In your OU/TX scenario you say TX due to the earlier win. What about the overall season body of work as well as since that game. Who would win this weekend were they to play again? One could easily make the case OU would win by 10 second time around.

Pat Forde

  (3:43 PM)

Andy: Don't try to complicate something that's very simple: if I beat you by 10 points on a neutral field, I win the benefit of doubt in any tie situation. If we're both 11-1 and I beat you, game over. They aren't playing again; Oklahoma got its chance and wasn't good enough.

Tyler (Lexington)

Pat, do you see the CATS winning out and going 8-4??

Pat Forde

  (3:45 PM)

Tyler: I'm predicting a split and 7-5. I say the Cats beat Vandy and lose to Tennessee in the Phil Fulmer finale.

Josh (Lubbock, Texas)

Pat, with the way we put up points against Texas, and how we ran OKST off the field, why are most people thinking next week's game against OK is going to be a loss for us? What makes them think their defense can hold us?

Pat Forde

  (3:48 PM)

Josh: I don't think OU's defense can hold Tech -- but I'm not so sure Tech's defense can hold OU. Shootout City. The doubts come for the following reasons: Tech is still a newbie in this situation; the two huge wins were both at home and this is a road game against a team that's 53-2 at home under Bob Stoops. I believe Tech is legit, but I'm still not sure they win that game.

Floyd (Michigan)

Pat, what do you think of a 16 team playoff where you take the winners of all conferences (not just the BCS conferences), the best of the indy's, and 4 at large bids. It would work much like the high school system. This way there is no argument...the team that wins advances.

Pat Forde

  (3:49 PM)

Floyd: Makes way too much sense. It would be perfect, of course -- as inclusive as the NCAA basketball tournament. But schools would have to scale back their regular seasons and/or do away with conference championship games -- and that's a lot of money taken out of the pockets. They'd never go for it.

Ted (Portland, OR)

Is Mike Riley the most underrated coach in college football? When you look year in and year out what this guy does with the talent level that he has, it is incredible. I don't believe there is a better coach in college at making his guys better week in and out. Thoughts??

Pat Forde

  (3:51 PM)

Ted: Love Mike Riley, doing an awesome job. I bragged on him this morning on First Take in fact. He and Brian Kelly are two guys doing very underappreciated jobs this year in my book. Remember, it's all in the Beavers' hands. If they win out, they're going to the Rose Bowl. And that would be something.

Cal (Vienna, Austria)

Pat, what is the likely outcome for WVU this year? I have been surprised how they have underachieved with the best player in the country behind center.

Pat Forde

  (3:54 PM)

Cal: There definitely has been some underachieving going on in Morgantown, but some folks saw it coming before the season -- coaching change, only four returning starters on defense, offensive line back but only average for much of last year, etc. (I was not one of those who saw it coming. Doh.) Pat White has not been making plays the way he usually does, either. My best guess is an 8-4 finish.

Michael (Moscow,ID)

Does Idaho have a chance to pull to upset against Boise in Moscow Saturday?

Pat Forde

  (3:56 PM)

Michael: You mean the same Idaho team that lost by 25 to Utah State and 70 to Arizona? No. I mean, I know it's theoretically a rivalry game and all, but ... no.

Kevin (Des Moines, IA)

Why would you disagree Iowa is VERY solid? 4 losses by 12pts to pretty good teams. They're much better than the record would suggest. You really are a Big Ten hater, aren't you?

Pat Forde

  (3:57 PM)

Kevin: The record is the record, and 6-4 is a bit short of VERY solid in my book. Certainly no better than 6-3 Oregon State or 5-4 Ole Miss.

Kimmy Gibler (San Fransisco0

Will you be doing basketball chats? If so when will those start?

Pat Forde

  (3:58 PM)

Kimmy: I will do basketball chats, but probably not until January sometime. Stay tuned.

Jason (Portage, MI)

When are we going to have a Dashette playoff? Are there academic reasons it hasn't happened yet?

Pat Forde

  (3:58 PM)

Jason: The presidents are against it.

JT (Atlanta)

Is Tennessee prepared to offer the next head coach the same kind of money Alabama gave Nick Saban...and what would it take to get a coach like Lane Kiffin, John Gruden, Mike Leach, or Butch Davis?

Pat Forde

  (4:00 PM)

JT: I'm sure Tennessee will pay a lot of money -- but it will not pay Saban dollars for Lane Kiffin or Mike Leach -- neither of those guys owns a national championship ring. Gruden and Davis aren't coming.

Trey (El Dorado, Arkansas)

Why did you leave Arkansas and Baylor out of your SEC vs. Big 12 analysis this week?

Pat Forde

  (4:00 PM)

Trey: plum forgot. We got it in there about 20 minutes after the story posted.

Stephen, Houston

Pat: As of right now who are the top 5 teams in terms of playing the best and seperately in your opinon what should the top 5 teams in the BCS rankings be?

Pat Forde

  (4:02 PM)

Stephen: Top five in the BCS should be 1. Texas Tech 2. Alabama 3. Texas 4. Oklahoma 5. Florida. Top five hottest right now, hmmmm: 1. Texas Tech 2. Florida 3. Oklahoma 4. USC 5. Alabama But it really doesn't matter who's hottest right now.

Taylor (Austin, TX)

Pat...If you could be a head coach anywhere in the nation...where would you pick?

Pat Forde

  (4:03 PM)

Taylor: It would be tough to beat your town. Great recruiting base, every imaginable bit of support, great weather, great food, great ... Dashettes. Not much wrong with Austin.

Jesse (COLORADO SPRINGS)

If OU blows out Tech you still have Texas above OU. Also OU lost that game because of Ryan Reynolds. If he doesnt get hurt OU hangs on for the win. Voters should try and remember that. Texas scored 25 straight points when he got hurt

Pat Forde

  (4:05 PM)

Jesse: Ryan Reynolds did get hurt, so don't bother with the "if he didn't." He got hurt, he's still hurt, get over it. If you want to play that game, Texas had to play a lot of the game at Tech without Brian Orakpo. Injuries happen.

Mark (San Antonio)

Does Mike Leach stay in Lubbock or jump ship as the "Hot Coach" of the year?

Pat Forde

  (4:06 PM)

Mark: My gut feeling is that he jumps. I think he's unhappy with how the university responded to his attempts to negotiate an extension last summer -- basically said, "Talk to us next year." Now it's next year, his team is undefeated, he's hotter than blazes, and he might want to look around.

Chris (Los Angeles)

So far Muschamp and Venables are generating tremendous heat for coaching openings (or possible openings). Is there some reason why Charlie Strong isn't also generating the same heat (other than the color of his skin)?

Pat Forde

  (4:07 PM)

Chris: Great question. He's an excellent coach and has been for a long time. He deserves a shot and I'm worried that it might have passed him by. That would be a shame.

Rob (Omaha, NE)

Pat, I think West Virginia should be ranked higher. They'd have won a lot more games is RichRod hadn't left, so you can't hold that against them.

Pat Forde

  (4:08 PM)

Touche

Pat Forde

  (4:09 PM)

That looks like a good one to end on. Enjoy the games this week, no matter how few compelling ones there are. I'm actually going to be watching on the couch this weekend for the first time since September. Talk to you all next week.