Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Wyoming officially announced the hiring of Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen on Monday after more than 24 hours of sourced speculation that he was replacing former coach Joe Glenn.

Christensen has been the offensive coordinator at Missouri for the past eight seasons. He also coached under Missouri coach Gary Pinkel at Toledo.

This is his first head coaching position.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to be given the opportunity to lead the Wyoming Cowboy Football program," Christensen said in a statement released by Wyoming. "The opportunity to become a head coach is something I've been preparing for my entire career.

"This is a great job at an outstanding university. Wyoming has a rich football tradition, and combined with the new, state-of-the art facilities, I know we can win here. I have already begun to put my coaching staff together, and we will strive to provide the people of Wyoming with a great product in all phases of the game. I can't wait to get started, and my family can't wait to become a part of this great state and this great University."

According the release from Wyoming, Christensen will make $180,000 per year for five years as a base salary, and with academic, competitive and revenue incentives, his total package could exceed $750,000 per year. That total compensation ranks third in the Mountain West Conference behind TCU's Gary Patterson and Colorado State's Steve Fairchild. It's also $200,000 more than Glenn was making, according to the contract on Coaches Hot Seat.

Christensen will continue to coahc Missouri through the Big 12 Championship and the team's bowl game. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Purdue coach-in-waiting Danny Hope hired Florida Atlantic offensive coordinator Gary Nord as his offensive coordinator, both schools announced on Monday. Nord replaces Ed Zaunbrecher, who was not retained from Joe Tiller's staff.

"It is with mixed emotion that we send Coach Nord off to his new assignment with the Purdue Boilermakers," Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger said in a statement. "Gary has been with me since 1994 when we first began at Louisville. It was great to have him here with me since 2003. He has made a great impression on our football team and has helped up bring this football program from Division I-AA to a strong Division I-A team. He will be missed."

Nord has been offensive coordinator at FAU since 2005. He was an offensive coordinator at UTEP and Oklahoma and worked with Hope at Louisville from 1985-1995.

"Gary has one of the top offensive minds in the nation," Hope said in a statement. "He also is an outstanding recruiter. We are fortunate to get someone with his background and experience. He's a real catch for us."

Schnellenberger said his new offensive coordinator would have ties to FAU as either a current coach or someone who has worked with the program before. He said the Owls' offensive scheme would not change because of the quarterbacks that have been recruited to fit the system and that the new offensive coordinator will have to have knowledge of FAU's scheme.

There was no timetable on naming a replacement.

Schnellenberger said he looks forward to seeing his former OC again down the road.

"We wish Gary good luck and much success and we look forward to playing him in a bowl one year."

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Three non-BCS assistant coaches are finalists for the 2008 Broyles Award, which honors the nation's top assistant coach.

TCU defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas, Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson, and Ball State offensive coordinator Stan Parrish join Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock, Ark., on Dec. 9 when the winner will be announced.

A non-BCS coach has not been a finalist for this award since Chris Petersen (Boise State) in 2004, and never more than one has been a finalist in any given season. Only six total have ever been nominated (Petersen was nominated in 2002, as well) since the award began in 1996 and no non-BCS assistant coach has ever won.

Here's a quick rundown of the non-BCS candidates' team accomplishments:

Dick Bumpas, TCU: TCU leads the country in run defense (48.7 yards per game) and ranks second in total defense (215.1 yards per game), scoring defense (10.9 points per game) and sacks (41). The Horned Frogs are fourth in pass defense efficiency (96.1).

Gary Anderson, Utah: The Utes are undefeated this season largely because of the 18th-ranked total defense (295.92 yards per game). Utah ranks 13th in scoring defense, allowing just over 17 points per game, and the Utes rank 14th against the run (104.83 yards per game).

Stan Parrish, Ball State: behind star quarterback Nate Davis, the Ball State offense ranks 13th-nationally in total offense (455.75 yards per game) and 15th in scoring defense (37.67). Running back MiQuale Lewis in the fourth-best running back in the country (130.83 yards per game) and Davis ranks sixth in the country in passing efficiency.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The All-WAC football team was released on Monday and not a whole lot of surprises here. I was surprised to see Carl Ihenacho from San Jose State not get defensive POW, but he was injured some. Also, Chris Petersen should have been COY, no doubt, but I hope Derek Dooley came in second. He's done a great job with Louisiana Tech this season.

Here's the players and coaches of the year (You can find the full team here):

Offensive Player of the Year -- Colin Kaepernick, So., QB, Nevada
Co-Defensive Players of the Year -- Solomon Elimimian, Sr., LB, Hawai'i and Jarron Gilbert, Sr., DT, San Jose State
Freshman of the Year -- Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Coach of the Year -- Chris Petersen, Boise State

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• If you're a Thundering Herd fan hoping for coach Mark Snyder to get the axe, it isn't going to happen. Athletics director Bob Marcum issues a short statement on Sunday stating that Snyder is safe, which, Jack Bogaczyk of the Charleston Daily Mail writes, isn't making a lot of Herd fans happy.

• Fresno State coach Pat Hill wasn't shy about talking about his visit to Washington this week where he interviewed for the head-coaching job. He said he had "a great conversation" with UW officials.

• Four MAC coaches already have vacated their posts, some by choice, some not, but the next round of vacancies might come because a few MAC coaches are in demand by bigger schools.

• What if Notre Dame was a reality show? Would coach Charlie Weis be voted off the island?

• Nevada coach Chris Ault said the Wolf Pack's come-from-behind win over Louisiana Tech last Saturday solidifies the foundation that's been building for years.

• Utah State will probably hire a coach this week. Get to know the candidates.

• FIU's goal was to become bowl eligible this season, and while last week's loss to rival Florida Atlantic ensured that won't happen, the Golden Panthers are still moving in the right direction.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The mystery of the final BCS teams could be solved as early as Tuesday.

The 2008 BCS Commissioner team selection call will be held tomorrow where the BCS will whittle down the teams eligible for the BCS from 21 to some unknown number less than 21. Sorry, don't have specifics there.

Utah, Boise State, and Ball State could all be in the mix considering their current rankings in the latest BCS standings, which won't provide much clarity for both the WAC and Mountain West, who were hoping to shore up their bowl pairings this week.

We know Utah is in, but there is an at-large spot that remains in question. The popular opinion is that that spot will go to a two-loss Ohio State team over either an undefeated non-BCS team.

Commissioner John Swofford, this year's BCS coordinator, will have a press conference Wednesday to discuss the selection process, teams, etc. I'm sure there will be many questions about the non-BCS and why it's being overlooked for teams with lesser records.

The official BCS pairings will not be announced until Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.

In all, it should be interesting to see which teams are still being considered by the BCS. My guess is that we're down to Utah and Boise State since those have been the most talked about teams for the past couple weeks. Utah is already guaranteed a spot because of its BCS standing, but Boise State is still fighting for its rung on the BCS ladder.

Does Boise State deserve the bid over Ohio State? Yes.

The Big Ten was not a tough conference this year and Ohio State lost to the best team in it. Boise State was the best team in its conference and beat an Oregon team that shellacked Oregon State, the Pac-10 title favorite.

Of course strength of schedule will come into play and that will hurt Boise State. Its conference was weak, weaker than the Big Ten, but going undefeated is no small feat regardless of conference.

I do think this is a slippery slope for the BCS. The unwritten rule has always been that a non-BCS team had to go undefeated for a BCS berth. Now, the non-BCS has three undefeated teams. The BCS can't let them all in, so it's kind of changing the rules on the fly. That's why I wouldn't be shocked to see it let Utah in and no other non-BCS team. Stick to the trend of the highest-ranked non-BCS team.

Is it fair? Of course not. But it's the BCS.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Two conferences are finished, two have championship games this week and one has one regular season week left. We're almost to bowl practices, so let's see how the bowl projections are shaping up.

Here's a look at how the non-BCS bowls are shaping up:

MOUNTAIN WEST

Utah -- The Utes are still in prime position for the non-BCS automatic bid into the BCS. Now it's just a matter of where they're going to go. Coach Kyle Whittingham's wife was talking about how historic New Orleans is and she'll probably get to see it firsthand.
Possibilities: Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl.
Prediction: Sugar Bowl

TCU -- The more things whittle down, the more it looks like the Horned Frogs could meet Boise State in this game, which would make a great matchup in San Diego.
Possibilities: Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl
Prediction: Poinsettia Bowl

BYU -- Yet another trip to Las Vegas for the Cougars, which will at least ensure that the stadium will sell out. Don't see this changing unless the bowl looks at matchup over money.
Possibilities: Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl
Prediction: Las Vegas Bowl

Air Force -- The Falcons completed another unexpectedly successful season and should get a good matchup against a C-USA team in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Possibilities: Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl
Prediction: Armed Forces Bowl

Colorado State -- The Rams could be facing Fresno State, which I think is an interesting match between a veteran coach and a new coach. Colorado State ended its season on a high note. Fresno State? Not so much.
Possibilities: Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl
Prediction: New Mexico Bowl

WAC

Boise State -- After the Broncos ended their undefeated season with a 51-point shellacking of Fresno State, they're definitely in the hunt for a BCS game, but if they don't, I think the WAC wants to see them in San Diego.
Possibilities: Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Projection: Poinsettia Bowl

Louisiana Tech -- The Bulldogs lost to Nevada in a crazy game on Saturday, but things will probably work out for the best regardless. The WAC has been in talks with the Independence Bowl and La. Tech will likely head there as an at-large.
Possibilities: New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Independence Bowl

Fresno State -- The Bulldogs didn't hurt their bowl status with the big loss at Boise State. The Bulldogs likely will play in New Mexico against Colorado State.
Possibilities: New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Prediction: New Mexico Bowl

Nevada -- Big come-from-behind win by the Wolf Pack this week to guarantee themselves a WAC Bowl. Now which WAC bowl will it be? With Boise State likely heading to San Diego, it wouldn't be surprising to see Nevada in Boise.
Possibilities: New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Roady's Humanitarian Bowl

Hawaii -- The game against Washington State was probably a little closer than expected, but the Warriors got a seventh win to guarantee a spot in the Hawaii Bowl.
Possibilities: New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

San Jose State -- The Spartans are bowl eligible and will probably get the at-large spot in the Emerald Bowl because of proximity. If they don't, they won't go bowling.
Possibilities: New Mexico Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Emerald Bowl

CONFERENCE USA

Houston -- A week ago it looked like Houston was well on its way to a berth in C-USA's top bowl, but with a loss to Rice the dream has faded and the Cougars will probably stay in their home state for the postseason.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: Armed Forces Bowl

Tulsa -- The Golden Hurricane sealed up a C-USA West title and should have little trouble against East Carolina if coach Todd Graham can bring out the team from the first half of the season.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: Liberty Bowl

Rice -- Big win by Rice to end the season, but it wasn't quite enough to win C-USA West. Still, the Owls will be rewarded with a game in their home state. I've been going back and forth, but I think the Texas Bowl fits.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: Texas Bowl

East Carolina -- The winner of C-USA East is coming on strong and I don't think the Liberty Bowl is out of the question. But the Pirates are going to have a tough time containing a potent Tulsa offense.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: GMAC Bowl

Memphis -- There were two bowls up for grabs and Memphis locked up one of them with a win over Tulane last weekend. The Tigers have played well despite losing three quarterbacks this year. A bowl is well deserved.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: St. Petersburg Bowl

Southern Mississippi -- The Golden Eagles won four straight games to get into a bowl after a tough start. A win could keep the streak of winning seasons alive at 15.
Possibilities: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Texas Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, GMAC Bowl
Projection: New Orleans Bowl

SUN BELT

The Sun Belt has just one team with seven wins (Troy) and one team that could gain seven wins (Arkansas State). The Papajohns.com Bowl, Independence Bowl both have auxiliary tie-ins to the Sun Belt.

Troy -- The Trojans are a win over Arkansas State away from winning the Sun Belt outright and playing Southern Miss in a pretty good matchup. But if they lose to Arkansas State, the Trojans could be headed to the Independence Bowl.
Possibilities: New Orleans Bowl, Papjohns.com Bowl, Independence Bowl
Prediction: New Orleans Bowl

Still up for grabs: Papajohns.com Bowl, Independence Bowl
Contenders: Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee

INDEPENDENTS

Navy -- The Midshipmen have had a bowl game locked up for a couple weeks and since they are locked into the EagleBank Bowl this season, this is a no-brainer.
Possibilities: EagleBank Bowl
Prediction: EagleBank Bowl

Notre Dame -- Not sure what the Irish are going to do here and we probably won't know until the final games of the season are played. The Irish probably won't end up in a major bowl and could be playing in the Motor City, Papjohns.com Bowl or not at all (by their own wishes) depending on how things work out.
Possibilities: Brut Sun Bowl, at large
Prediction: At-large

MAC

Ball State -- The Cardinals have completed an undefeated regular season and have just the MAC championship remaining to decide their bowl fate. The Cardinals also have worked their way into the BCS picture, though I still think they're too far out to get a look.
Possibilities: Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Motor City Bowl, International Bowl, GMAC Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Motor City Bowl

Western Michigan -- Western Michigan moved ahead of Central Michigan after the Chippewas' loss to Eastern Michigan, which might keep the Broncos in the MAC Bowl tie-ins.
Possibilities: Motor City Bowl, International Bowl, GMAC Bowl, at-large
Prediction: GMAC Bowl

Central Michigan -- I once thought Central Michigan could still pull off the top MAC Bowl, but now, I believe they'll be an at-large team. There are a couple options, but we won't know until next week's games are finished.
Possibilities: Motor City Bowl, International Bowl, GMAC Bowl, at-large
Prediction: Hawaii Bowl

Buffalo -- Buffalo would love to win the MAC and play in Detroit, but the best bowl for their fans might be the International, which is less than 100 miles away from Buffalo.
Possibilities: Motor City Bowl, International Bowl, GMAC Bowl, at-large
Prediction: International Bowl

Still up for grabs: at-large
Contenders: Northern Illinois, Bowling Green

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

It's the beginning of December, two conferences are in the books and bowls are starting to select their pairings. But there's still a lot up for grabs in the non-BCS, including a possible BCS spot.

1. Utah: The Utes are holding tight to the top non-BCS spot and have put themselves out of any controversy over a BCS bid. The only question for them will be Tempe or New Orleans?

2. Boise State: The Broncos completed their third undefeated regular-season campaign in the past five seasons. They've had a miraculous run. Unfortunately, they might not get rewarded for it.

3. Ball State: The Cardinals completed an undefeated regular season by beating Western Michigan and now have one more obstacle -- the MAC championship. Like Boise State, Ball State won't be rewarded with a BCS bowl for its efforts.

4. TCU: Beware of the Horned Frog. TCU has crept up the non-BCS standings to put itself into a position to be eligible for a BCS bid. Not sure it will happen with two losses even though those losses are to Nos. 2 and 6 in the BCS standings.

5. BYU: I don't know if you can call a 10-win season disappointing, but it certainly wasn't the year the Cougars expected. They probably end up in Las Vegas -- again. Luckily, they bring a lot of guys back next year.

6. Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane slipped up in the middle of the year and aren't the same team that started the season, but they still won the C-USA West title and will play East Carolina for the conference championship.

7. Rice: The Owls did everything they could to grab the Conference USA West title, but a late field goal by Tulsa spoiled their efforts. Still, the Owls are one of the hottest teams heading into bowl season.

8. Western Michigan: Although they didn't look it last week, the Broncos are still one of the best teams in the MAC. I honestly thought they'd give Ball State a better game, but they're still the second-best team in the conference.

9. Houston: The Cougars had the C-USA title wrapped up but couldn't get past rival Rice. They also lost the Bayou Bucket in the process. Not a good weekend for the Cougars, but they're still one of the better non-BCS teams.

10. East Carolina: Similar to Tulsa, the Pirates didn't have the season it looked like they were going to have but they rebounded nicely to win C-USA East. Their win over UTEP put the West on notice that the Pirates can score when needed.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The latest BCS standings were released on Sunday and it appears Boise State's 61-10 win over Fresno State did nothing to impress voters.

The Broncos are still No. 9 in the standings, behind No. 6 Utah, which will lock-up the non-BCS automatic bid. So it's still a waiting game for the Broncos, and really for TCU and Ball State. Although they are ranked below Boise State, both teams satisfy the provisions for an at-large bid since all are now ranked in the top 12.

The team to watch here is Ohio State. Coming into the weekend, USC and Ohio State appeared to be the biggest threats to Boise State's chance at the BCS. Now, with Oregon State's loss to Oregon, USC is a win over UCLA away from capturing the Pac-10 title and securing a spot in the Rose Bowl. Figuring that both the SEC and the Big 12 will also earn two spots in the BCS, that leaves Ohio State, which at No. 10 in the BCS standings, as the next likely candidate for a BCS bid.

You know, TCU might be a team to watch here as well. If the BCS is going to pick a two-loss team, TCU would be a better candidate since its losses are to the Nos. 2 and 5 teams in the BCS. Not saying it will happen, and I really don't think it's a possibility, but the Horned Frogs' surge up the polls has been interesting.

Also, if Ball State beats Buffalo in the MAC championship on Friday, the Cardinals will have more wins than any of the non-BCS teams. We'll see if that comes into play.

WAC and Mountain West officials said their bowl announcements would come early this week, but it almost looks as though we'll have to wait another week to see which team grabs the at-large spot since some of the same questions that were in the air last week seem to still be floating this week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

If you're waiting by your computer or phone in hopes that news of Charlie Weis' demise at Notre Dame has finally come, you might be waiting awhile.

A decision about Weis' future might not come until Dec. 8, the earliest date Weis and athletics director Jack Swarbrick have mutual openings in their schedules.

Neither Weis nor Swarbrick returned to South Bend after Saturday's 38-3 loss at USC. Weis was staying on the West Coast to recruit and Swarbrick had other business to deal with.

Saturday's loss means the Fighting Irish finish the season 6-6 and likely will be placed into a pool of at-large teams for a bowl. The Irish have an outside chance for the Sun Bowl if the Gator Bowl decides to take a Big 12 team over a Big East team and Rutgers loses to Louisville.

But more than likely Notre Dame will have a postseason choice to make. Depending on which bowls remain, the Irish could opt out of a bowl despite coach Charlie Weis' insistence that his team will play in a bowl regardless. The decision to go bowling isn't solely up to Weis, it's an institutional decision that will involve Swarbrick, among others.

The Irish have not missed a bowl when bowl eligible since 1996. That year, the 8-3 Irish declined a bowl while it was switching coaches from Lou Holtz to Bob Davie. The Irish also passed on bowls in 1971 (8-2), 1975 (8-3) and 1979 (7-4) because the bowl they qualified for was not a New Year's bowl.

The last time Notre Dame played in a bowl at 6-6 was in 2004 when it lost to Oregon State in the Insight Bowl. The Irish have not won a non-New Year's bowl since 1983 when they beat Boston College, 19-18, in the Liberty Bowl.

Here's a review of the at-large bowls available:

GUARANTEED OPEN AT-LARGE SPOTS

• One in the Texas Bowl
• One in the Poinsettia Bowl
• One in the Papajohns.com Bowl
• Two in Independence Bowl
• One in the Emerald Bowl

POSSIBLE OPEN AT-LARGE SPOTS

• One in the Motor City Bowl if Ohio State moves into the BCS
• One in the Hawaii Bowl

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

For the past couple weeks, coaching vacancies have been reported and now some of those positions are starting to fill up.

ESPN.com is reporting that Wyoming has hired Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen as its new head coach.

A news conference is scheduled for tomorrow.

That might mean former Michigan State coach John L. Smith, who was hoping to get that Wyoming job, will be in play at Utah State and could be the leading candidate.

Personally, after working with Christensen for four seasons, Wyoming is a good starting job. It will be interesting to see if his offense will transfer to the Mountain West. There's not another team in the Mountain West that spreads it out the way Christensen's offense requires.

I'm also not sure he has the personnel to run it at this time. Last I checked, Wyoming wasn't stacked with a Heisman finalist, All-Americans, and guys like Chase Coffman and Jeremy Maclin. Success at Wyoming will be a work in progress.

Another interesting tidbit is that Christensen and Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig are very close. So much so that Christensen comes to Utah in the summer and stays at Ludwig's house so the two can discuss offensive schemes. Guess those visits are now just family barbecues.

In other coaching news...

The Seattle Times and other news outlets are reporting that Fresno State coach Pat Hill interviewed at Washington on Saturday. This is a job in which Hill was interested in a few years ago when Tyrone Willingham was hired and it's interesting his name is coming up again.

I really believe this would be right in Hill's wheelhouse because he stays in his recruiting area and he's already got the coaching clout to gain early respect. I think he could win at Washington, I really do, and he's already shown over the years that he can coach against the Pac-10 powers.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The BCS isn't working: A few years ago, the BCS started rewarding non-BCS teams for undefeated seasons, basically stating that that was the way a non-BCS team could face the big boys in the bowls. But now, the BCS is kind of going back on its word. Three non-BCS teams completed undefeated regular seasons and it looks like just one will receive a BCS berth. Boise State, which is ranked within the provisions of an automatic bid, will likely be left out in favor of Ohio State even though it has two losses.

We all knew the system was broken, but that has been evident this year not only in the non-BCS, but also with various teams in the BCS. Even Boise State coach Chris Petersen, who is a fan of the BCS, said a playoff is coming.

What happened to Notre Dame? The Irish went from being decent to being unfocused to being unable to finish to being downright uncompetitive in their final game of the regular season. No one had allusions that Notre Dame would roll into Los Angeles and beat USC, but I think most thought they'd put up a fight.

But the Irish were manhandled and embarrassed.

The Irish had 91 yards of total offense and didn't get a first down until the very end of the third quarter. The Irish were actually more competitive in the 38-0 loss last season. At least they had 165 yards of total offense then.

This isn't a "Fire Charlie" observation, but it's obvious that something needs to be done to inspire this team.

Leaving on a high note: Both Eastern Michigan and Utah State sent their respective coaches off on a high note this week with big wins to end the season. Both Utah State coach Brent Guy and Eastern Michigan coach Jeff Genyk were fired prior to their final games because of a failure to make their programs competitive. Both teams finished 3-9 this season, but that third win was a beauty as Eastern Michigan set several FBS records in a 56-52 win over rival Central Michigan, and Utah State limited New Mexico State to minus-7 rushing yards in a 47-2 win. The wins are a testament to how those players felt about their coaches.

Missouri coaches in non-BCS demand: Several Wyoming papers are reporting that Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Christensen is having his second interview on Sunday by Wyoming to be its new football coach, and the Toledo Blade is reporting that Missouri defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was flying in today to interview for the Toledo position.

According to several papers, Christensen arrived in Laramie late after Saturday's loss to Kansas. He was interviewing Sunday morning before flying back to Missouri for a senior function.

According to the Toledo Blade, Eberflus was supposed to meet with Toledo officials Sunday as well. No word on what time.

Missouri's assistants have been coveted by the non-BCS before, especially since both started their career at Toledo with head coach Gary Pinkel.

Sun Belt still undecided: While all the other conferences have either decided champions or are preparing for championship games, the Sun Belt is still up in the air. Troy has the advantage now, but Arkansas State's win over North Texas on Saturday puts the Red Wolves a win away from the Sun Belt title. That win has to come over Troy next week.

The Red Wolves and Trojans meet on Saturday in a regular-season game in what will ultimately decide which team goes to the New Orleans Bowl. If Troy wins, it wins the conference title outright. If Arkansas State wins, it ties Troy for the conference title, but gets the berth in the New Orleans Bowl because of the head-to-head matchup.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State: Rushed for 128 yards, his first 100-yard game of the season, and scored two touchdowns to tie the WAC record of 57 rushing touchdowns set by Marshall Faulk at San Diego State from 1991-93.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada: Threw for a season-high 397 yards on 24-of-42 passing with four touchdowns (tying a career high) to help Nevada rallied from a 31-14 deficit to win, 35-31, against Louisiana Tech.

James Casey, TE, Rice: Had a career day by catching three touchdown passes, scoring another on a 1-yard rush and throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass for the Owls. His 104 catches this season are a single-season conference record.

Andy Schmitt, QB, E. Mich: Broke the NCAA record (all divisions) for completions by completing 58-of-80 for 516 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He also had a rushing touchdown.

Utah State defense: Held New Mexico State to minus-7 rushing yards and 156 yards of total offense. New Mexico State converted just 2 of 12 third down attempts.

Morgan Williams, RB, Toledo: Had 153 rushing yards, which accounted for almost all of Toledo's 196 yards of total offense in a 38-10 loss to Bowling Green in the final game of the season.

UAB defense: Recorded its first shutout in a Conference USA game in school history with a 15-0 victory over UCF.

Julian Edleman, QB, Kent State: Had 281 yards of total offense, including 167 rushing to help the Golden Flashes to a 24-21 upset win over Buffalo.

Willie Geter, RB, Bowling Green: Had 12 carries for 160 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown in a 38-10 win over Toledo.

Navy defense: Held Northern Illinois to 251 total yards and no points to notch the Midshipmen's first shutout since 2004.

Eugene Jarvis, RB, Kent State: Had 150 yards and a touchdown for his fourth 100-yard game of the season and second-best rushing performance of the year.

Chris Garrett, RB, Ohio: Rushed 23 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Prior to that game, Garrett had not rushed for more than 62 yards in a game this season.

Naaman Roosevelt, WR, Buffalo: Had 8 receptions for 124 yards to break Drew Haddad's single-season records in receptions (86) and receiving yards with 1,196.

Tyler Jones, WR, E. Mich: Tied the NCAA Division I record for receptions with 23 for 170 yards in a 56-52 win over Central Michigan.

James Starks, RB, Buffalo: Rushed for 136 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown to break Buffalo's all-time single-season rushing record. He now has 1,226 yards.

Brandon Simmons, RB, East Carolina: Had 27 carries for 111 yards and three touchdown, he also caught a touchdown in a 53-21 win over UTEP.

Ball State: Completed a perfect regular season with a win over Western Michigan to earn its best overall record, first MAC West title and first berth in the MAC Championship Game.

Boise State: Completed its third undefeated regular-season campaign in the past five seasons and took back the WAC, which was a goal for the Broncos at the start of the season.

Rece Davis looks at this week's top four game-changing performances in college football.

• Casey Dick's 25-yard touchdown pass to London Crawford with 25 seconds remaining lifts Arkansas past LSU.
• Jermaine Gresham hauls in a deflected pass and runs for a 73-yard touchdown to help Oklahoma defeat Oklahoma State.
• Jonathan Dwyer's 60-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half ignites Georgia Tech to a 45-42 comeback win at Georgia.
• Todd Reesing threw a touchdown pass to Todd Meier with 27 seconds left to give Kansas a 40-37 win over No. 12 Missouri.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Arkansas State becomes bowl eligible: Arkansas State survived a scare against North Texas to stay in the hunt for the Sun Belt title and a possible bowl game. The Red Wolves are 6-5 this season with a game against Troy remaining.

If the Red Wolves beat Troy, they'll be Sun Belt champions and guarantee a spot in the New Orleans Bowl. Troy would finish the season with seven wins, which would be good for a berth in either the Independence Bowl or the Papajohns.com Bowl.

The Shula Bowl: Florida Atlantic came back from a 14-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to force overtime and win the Shula Bowl 57-50. FAU now holds a 6-1 advantage in the rivalry.

Florida Atlantic finishes 6-6 and bowl eligible after struggling early in the season. It's a bit of a disappointment after winning eight games and the Sun Belt title a year ago. FAU must now wait to see if it's one of the teams select for an at-large bid.

Leaving on a high note: Utah State sent coach Brent Guy out on a high note while possibly sealing the fate of New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme with a 47-2 win at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah.

Guy was fired on Nov. 17 after his team struggled to two wins this season. Saturday's win gives the Aggies a 3-9 finish. Guy finishes his career at Utah State with a 9-38 record.

Mumme is not much better and was rumored to be fired two weeks ago. But a dispute over his buyout kept him around through the end of the season. Mumme's current contract expires Jan. 31, 2010. Mumme is 11-37 in his four years at New Mexico Sate, including a 3-9 record this season. More than likely, the New Mexico State job will come open this week.

Some quotes from Mumme after the game (courtesy of USU):

On a tough week...
"The players were on campus all week with nobody around and all the media telling them
I am not going to be around anymore. This has been going on for four weeks and I knew it was going to be tough. It was really hard to keep them focused. It was a pathetic effort on offense but we didn't have a lot of players to play with."

On team's character...
"I thought our players showed a lot more than a lot of other people deserve."