This week’s column


ABOVE: Mike Stoops is gaining some believers at Arizona. (AP Photo)

It was a slip of the tongue, but in another way it wasn’t.
ESPN announcer Mark Jones, who covered the University of Arizona’s home game against then-No. 9 Iowa on Saturday, mistakenly called Wildcats coach Mike Stoops “Bob,” his brother who is coach at Oklahoma.
That’s how most view Mike Stoops, playing second fiddle to Bob Stoops, who has won one Bowl Championship Series title and annually has the Sooners in the hunt in the BCS race.
But Mike Stoops is slowly gaining.
He’s building a budding program at Arizona, which defeated the highly touted Hawkeyes 34-27 Saturday and is playing its way into contention in the Pac-10 race and the BCS title quest.
The Wildcats, with quarterback Nick Foles and California High School product Nic Grigsby at running back, are picking up believers. They moved from No. 24 to No. 14 in this week’s USA Today coaches’ poll and it looks like things can only get better.
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Mascot fight: Ohio State’s Brutus vs Ohio’s Bobcat

Mascots at Ohio University and Ohio State took their regional rivalry a bit too far over the weekend.
Here’s a video showing OU’s Bobcat tackling OSU’s Brutus as the Buckeyes take the field prior to the team’s nonconference game on Saturday.
Jason Corriher, Ohio University athletic director for media relations, apologized for the incident, and the student who was dressed in the Bobcat costume has been banned from any further affiliation with Ohio athletics.

Week 3 Update

Here’s some early observations for week 3:

Top Two Continue to Roll: Alabama and Ohio State, our picks to make it to the BCS title game, keep showing they can pound the teams they are supposed to beat.
The Crimson Tide, who opened with easy victories over San Jose State and Penn State, put Duke away early on Saturday before rolling to a 62-13 win. Their first major test of the season comes next week when they travel to No. 12 Arkansas, which behind QB Ryan Mallett beat Georgia. Ohio State, which proved to be too much for then No. 12 Miami, routed intra-state foe Ohio, 43-7. The Buckeyes still have an easy road, with games against Eastern Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, before an Oct. 16 date with No. 11 Wisconsin. Of course, the Badgers haven’t exactly lived up to their ranking, struggling against San Jose State last week before slipping by what appears to a sub-par Arizona State team on Saturday.
Living Up to Expectations?: Back in June, after USC received its two-year bowl ban for the Reggie Bush scandal, the Trojans, and their followers believed their only recourse was go undefeated and secure the AP national title. USC may have a clean slate after three weeks, but if anything the Trojans’ title hopes keep slip, slip, sliding away. The latest was a 32-14 victory over Minnesota in which the Gophers led 14-13 at one point. Not exactly No. 1 material.