Rungs to the top remain slippery

Exhaustive examination of Saturday's exhilarating game action led to this reputation-risking observation:

Vanderbilt's Commodores are probably not going to win the national title.

OK, it's been stated. Go ahead, shoot it down

Everything else, by the way, is a crapshoot.

Nashville's notion of 13-0 and a fairy tale movie deal came to a stark end in Starkville, Miss.

"Five and one is not a bad record as far as I know," Commodores defensive back Reshard Langford said after Saturday's 17-14 loss to Mississippi State.

Not good enough, though, so run along now, Commodores, you've been dismissed for recess.

Vanderbilt's out, so who's in?

That one's a little more complicated . . . and you needed five televisions to keep track.

On one channel, in the morning, No. 5 Texas defeated No. 1 Oklahoma, 45-35, in the annual Red River Rivalry game in Dallas played on the Texas State Fairgrounds.

You talk about a carnival ride.

By day's end, because of games on other channels, Oklahoma would go from top ranked in the country to fourth place in the Big 12 Conference South.

"It's not over by far," Oklahoma receiver Manny Johnson said.

Manny is so right.

Saturday was that kind of weird, and until further notice, the Big 12 is better than the Southeastern.

The last weekend before the first release of the first Bowl Championship Series standings saw No. 1 lose for the third time.

USC went "timber" first, remember, against Oregon State, and then Georgia, the preseason No. 1, hedged against Alabama.

Saturday, it was the Sooner Swoon.

No. 3 Missouri got drilled at home by suddenly 6-0 Oklahoma State, heavily funded by oilman T. Boone Pickens.

"That was as big a win as we've ever had," Coach Mike Gundy said.