San Jose State Next Test for Ex-Genius

THE COLLEGES

These are rough times for Stanford’s Bill (the Ex-Genius) Walsh. After posting a 4-7 record last year, he opened with a shocking 41-41 tie against perennial Bottom Ten flowerhouse Northwestern. It was a tie made possible only because Big Ten officials mistakenly awarded a touchdown to Stanford.

And things won’t get any easier for Walsh. Next he must go up against San Jose State (0-2) in a regional Crummy Game of the Week.

Don’t expect any pity for the outspoken Walsh from opponents. In the new book, “Rough Magic,” about his return to Stanford, Walsh calls Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz “a little spoiled brat” and dismisses USC as “Yesterday U.” (OK--so he’s correct about No. 10 USC.)

Speaking of sinking teams, Navy Coach George Chaump, who fired his offensive coordinator after the team’s opening 14-56 loss to San Diego State, made no personnel moves after the second game--a 10-47 loss to Virginia.

The rankings:

School, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Stanford (0-0-1) Tied N’western, 41-41 San Jose St. 2. Cal (0-1) 20-22, San Diego State Hawaii 3. Missouri (0-2) 0-42, Illinois Houston 4. Houston (0-2) 7-32, La. Tech Missouri 5. San Jose St. (0-2) 20-54, Baylor Stanford 6. Iowa State (0-2) 9-37, Iowa W. Michigan 7. Michigan St. (0-1) 10-17, Kansas Notre Dame 8. Maryland (0-2) 20-52, Fla. State W. Va. 9. West Va. (1-2) 12-17, Rutgers Maryland 10. Yesterday U. (1-1) 14-38, Penn State* Healing

11. Northwestern (0-1-1); 12.-14. Pentagon (Air Force, Army, Navy) (1-4); 15. Louisville (0-2); 16. SMU (0-2); 17. New Mexico (0-2); 18. New Mexico State (0-2); 19. Akron (0-2); 20. Idle.

*But Penn State was outscored 14-3 in second half.

Others not receiving votes: University of Texas at El Pinpoint Paso (1-1).

Crummy Game of the Week (regionals): Stanford (0-0-1) vs San Jose State (0-2); Maryland (0-2) vs. West Virginia (1-2); Houston (0-2) vs. Missouri (0-2) (check local listings to make sure none of these games are in your region).

Rout of the Week: Nebraska (2-0) over UCLA (2-0).

Quotebook: Georgia Coach Ray Goff, revealing that the school may delay starting times of games until 4 p.m. or later because the students are too groggy from all-night Friday parties to make 1 p.m. games: “If you go back and look at the last 10 or 12 years, I can only name two games where our stadium was really up-tempo.” (We’re sure it has nothing to do with the quality of Georgia’s teams.)

THE PROS

The L.A. Coliseum has been repaired but the Raiders remain a wreck. The Silver and Black and Blue are 0-2 after a 9-38 loss to powerful Seattle.

It was a game that featured several fights in the stands as well as two Raider ejections. In fact, the spectacle recalled the remark of Officer Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) in the movie “Naked Gun 33 1/3.” After he goes undercover as an inmate in a prison, Drebin says: “It was like being in the stands at a Los Angeles Raiders’ game.”

The Raiders aren’t the only team taking Al Davis’ motto, “Commitment to Mediocrity,” to heart. The Cincinnati Bungles and Flagstaff Cardinals also are 0-2. And now how about a hearty welcome-back for the New Orleans Aints?

As usual, it also has been a miserable year for the Bottom Ten prognosticators, who picked Indy’s Marshall Faulk to be Top Rookie Flop of 1994. We’re embarrassed--almost as embarrassed as those experts who picked the Raiders for the Super Bowl.

The rankings:

BOTTOM TEN SIX-PACK

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Raiders (0-2) 9-38, Seattle Denver 2. Cincinnati (0-2) 10-27, San Diego Olde England 3. Flagstaff (0-2) 17-20, Giants Cleveland 4. New Orleans (0-2) 24-38, Washington Grampa Bay 5. Denver (0-2) 22-25, Jets Raiders 6. Houston (0-2) 17-20, Dallas Buffalo

MOST EXPENSIVE BEERS

Team Reason to Drink Price Capacity 1. Philadelphia (1-1) $4.75 14 oz. 2. Raiders (0-2) $4.50 12 oz. 3. Rams (1-1) $4 18 oz.

Crummy Game of the Week: Raiders (0-2) at Denver (0-2).

Hey, No Explanation Necessary! New Orleans Coach Jim Mora, commenting on a nightclub fight in which running back Mario Bates was slugged by teammate Lorenzo Neal: “Neither one of them are quite sure as to exactly what happened. Things got out of hand and we’ve got a player with a broken jaw.”