[Farai Chideya:] It's Friday, and time once again for sports with the intrepid William C. Rhoden, sports columnist for The New York Times. He spoke with NPR's Tony Cox about the wild week in college and professional football.
[Tony Cox:] What a week for college football; there's a game on every night. So let's start with Notre Dame, Wednesday night's game. Nine bowl games, nine losses. How do the Irish keep getting into the post season?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Well, you know, I mean, because, you know, as they say, they travel well. You know, they sell tickets. They've got this brand. But it's getting ridiculous, man. I mean, really. And we've spent all the week talking always is Charlie Weis going to come to Norte Dame I mean to the New York Giants and he's Parcells' disciple. I mean, even throughout the game, well, you know, Belichick and all this kind of stuff. And I said you know what, I hope they lose 62 to nothing. It was close.
[Tony Cox:] It was close to that. Now the other thing the other story line, obviously, out of that game was Brady Quinn. Runner up for the Heisman and presumed by some to be the number one pick going into the NFL Draft in the spring where the Raiders are at the top of the list. But we was outplayed last night by the quarterback for LSU.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] If Brady Quinn is the number one draft choice, where is the brother from LSU? Is he like, yeah, is he like number one-A? It was just a stunning mismatch. I mean remember last year at the championship game we saw Vince Young and Matt Leinart duel. And clearly Young came out of the thing ahead, but it was kind of even. I mean, like maybe you say Young was like maybe just a head above. But this was just so such a dramatic difference. You probably could have seen the game go on for another seven hours.
[Tony Cox:] That's true. And let me ask you about the another game earlier in the week. Because obviously USC and Michigan and there are some talking about USC now being the presumed pre-season favorite number one for next year were you surprised by that game that the Trojans handled Michigan in the way that they did?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Not really. You know, but you'll never know about these games. USC is pretty good and there were always questions about Michigan's defensive secondary. And Dwayne Jarrett is just an outstanding wide receiver. I was not surprised by that. What I was stunned by was Boise State and Oklahoma.
[Tony Cox:] I was coming to that. Because that was the game of the week, wasn't it?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Man, that might be the game of the year. I mean that was, you know, we talk about the glut of games and that sort of stuff, and here you watch a game like this. But, you know, that was an important game for all the mid-majors, you know, because Boise State and a lot of schools they represent had been locked out. You know, the big boys the Oklahomas, the Norte Dames, the Michigans you know, had their own private party. And Boise State, I think that we'll look back and when there are finally is a playoff in college football, we'll look at that game as the shot that was heard around the world.
[Tony Cox:] Yes. But at the same time, though, Bill Rhoden, even though Boise State had an impressive win over Oklahoma and they're 13 and 0, people are still going to say wink, wink. You know, they cannot be considered for the national championship.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Well, I mean what do they have to do? They're 13 and 0, they handled Oklahoma. I mean the game shouldn't have been that close. You know, now you can say well, there are seniors but I just think it cries out for a tournament, you know.
[Tony Cox:] Well, maybe you're right. But now is this too much college football?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Yes. I mean it's coming out of my ears, Tony. You know, I mean it's too because the games don't really mean there's one game that mean something.
[Tony Cox:] You're talking about the national championship game.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] That's the game we're going to watch Monday.
[Tony Cox:] Right. Ohio State...
[Mr. William Rhoden:] It's Ohio State and Florida.
[Tony Cox:] ...and Florida.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] That's the only game that means anything in college football until they get a tournament. You know, and I think that Florida is going to win.
[Tony Cox:] All right. Well we'll have to wait and see how that comes about because it won't be long. In the meantime, let's talk about the NFL. There have been some things in the news this week. Well, I guess we'll have to start in South Florida with Nick Saban kicking the Miami Dolphins to the curb to go to Tuscaloosa to take over the head-coaching job at Alabama.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] And everybody, you know, Tony, everybody is giving this guy grief and he is dishonest and all that. You know, I got to say, man, that this is a system under which we are free. This is a free enterprise system. You know, Saban is getting a ton of money to coach at Alabama.
[Tony Cox:] Is it $32 million?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Yes, tons of money. And they felt that he was worth it. Of course, the reason he gets so much is because they don't pay the players, but that's another show.
[Tony Cox:] OK. That's true. That's true.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] But I don't really have a problem with that, Tony. I mean I've got a bigger problem, in fact: That no once again, no African-American coaches have been mentioned at all in this conversation. But the fact that he is leaving Miami to go there I mean because listen, if you lose again, if he lost again in Miami, they'd have no problem at all with firing him.
[Tony Cox:] Let's skip the script a little bit and talk about college coaches who may be considering going into the NFL where there are now openings already in Arizona, for example, in Atlanta, for example. And Pete Carroll keeps popping up and his boy, Matt Leinart, is the quarterback at Arizona. So what's the story there?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Well, this is what I think. College coaches, whether it's in the college ranks going to the NBA or college coaches do not do well in the pros; they just don't. It's been proven time and time again.
[Tony Cox:] Well, Pete Carroll was OK as a pro-coach.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Yeah. He wasn't what he is now. Trust me.
[Tony Cox:] Well no, that's true.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] And he will not be. I think Pete's got a nice situation in Los Angeles. He should just stay there, have a nice time, you know. What did Booker T. Washington, pass down your buckets...
[Tony Cox:] And stay where you are.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] ...and stay where you are.
[Tony Cox:] Finally thing, Pittsburgh. Cowher, the coach, has been given just a few days to give up the information one way or the other if he is going to retire or stick around. What do you think is going to happen?
[Mr. William Rhoden:] I think he is gone. And the general consensus is that he is gone. And he'll probably, you know, be [unintelligible] in North Carolina. And we'll probably see him coaching somewhere end of the year. It could be in college, you know. It could be at North Carolina State. You know, but I think he's gone, and that it is going to be very intriguing. What are they going to do now? It's a model franchise of stability. So, you know, what's very interesting, Tony, is that the Rooney Rule which mandates that NFL teams do a wide search, including minority candidates, it's going to be very interesting to see if they practice what they preach and actually hire a minority candidate.
[Tony Cox:] To replace Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] To replace Bill Cowher.
[Tony Cox:] Thank you, Bill.
[Mr. William Rhoden:] Hey, Tony, it's always my pleasure.
[Farai Chideya:] William C. Rhoden is an author and sports columnist for The New York Times. He spoke with NPR's Tony Cox.