Coach’s Comment Prompts Shake-Up in Ratings

THE COLLEGES

This week’s guest Bottom Ten selector--Dallas Cowboy Coach Barry Switzer--caused a shake-up in the ratings by telling reporters the Cincinnati Bungles reminded him of a typical Iowa State team. Little wonder that that insult propelled the Cyclones (0-7-1) to the top of the Bottom Ten. They’re tied with the Bungles, who gave it the old college try against Dallas.

Ohio University, Cincinnati and Akron, while still winless, were all dropped from No. 1, prompting several complaints.

Rivals of Iowa State have accused the school of stacking its schedule with tough teams down the stretch--its final three games are against Kansas State, Nebraska and Colorado--in order to improve its chances of winning the Bottom Ten championship.

No. 6 Houston (1-7), meanwhile, still believes it merits title consideration because of its balanced defense--in a 13-52 loss to Baylor, it gave up 328 yards passing and 328 yards rushing.

The rankings:

School, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Iowa State (0-7-1) 20-34, Missouri Kansas State 1. Cincy Bungles (0-8) 20-23, Dallas Seattle 3. Ohio U (0-8) 10-22, Cent. Michigan W. Michigan 4. Cincinnati (0-7-1) 21-35, E. Carolina Troy State 5. Akron (0-8) 7-41, Youngstown St. E. Michigan 6. Houston (1-7) 13-52, Baylor Idle 7. Stanford (2-5-1) 30-31, UCLA Washington 8. The Smus (1-7-1) Tied A&M;, 21-21 Rice 9. Texas A&M; (7-0-1)* Tied Smus, 21-21 Texas 10. Losing State (2-5) 21-34, Miss Alabama

11. Do You Know the Way to San Jose State (1-7)?; 12. Wide Awake Forest (2-7); 13. New Mexico State (2-6); 14. Tulsane (merger of Tulsa and Tulane) (3-13); 15-18. Pentagon (Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force) (14-17); 19. Utah State (2-6); 20. The Pitts (2-7).

* Tied SMU, which lost to Houston.

Crummy Game of the Week: New Mexico State (2-6) at San Jose State (1-7).

THE PROS

A lot of throwers in the NFL had a rough time. Redskin rookie Gus Frerotte tried to intentionally ground the ball at the line of scrimmage on one play--not the most difficult maneuver to execute--only to have it fly out of his hands. Dave Brown, the Giants’ new starting quarterback, fumbled two snaps from center. The Bears’ Erik Kramer lost his fourth consecutive start (sub Steve Walsh is 3-0 as a starter).

Then there were the Tampa Bay throwers--the fans, not the players. After the Buccaneers’ most recent loss, many tossed beer cups and other debris at Coach Sam Wyche and quarterback Craig Erickson as they left the field.

The good news, Wyche said later, was the fans “didn’t have anybody with very good aim.” Well, what would you expect in Tampa Bay?

The rankings:

BOTTOM TEN SIX-PACK

Team, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Cincinnati (0-8) 20-23, Dallas Seattle 2. Houston (1-7) 14-17, Raiders Pitt 3. N.J. Giants (3-5) 25-28, Detroit Dallas 4. Chicago* (1-4) 6-33, Green Bay Tampa Bay 5. Tampa Bay (2-6) 13-36, Minnesota Chicago 6. Washington (2-7) 29-31, Philadelphia S.F.

* With Erik Kramer as starter.

SMALL FISH, BIG POND

The NCAA career offense leaders--with their comparable stats in the NFL:

QB Yards/College Yards/NFL 1. Steve McNair 15,673 Still in college 2. Ty Detmer 14,665 24 3. Neil Lomax 13,345 23,840 4. Willie Totten 13,007 166 5. Kirk Baumgartner 12,767 0 6. Jamie Martin 12,287 0 7. Doug Nussmeier 12,054 0 8. Doug Flutie 11,317 2,548 9. Ken Hobart 11,217 0 10. Alex Van Pelt 10,814 0

Crummy Game of the Week: Denver (3-5) at Rams (3-5).

Blockhead suggestion: “You wish it was that easy--’Put the block play in,’ ” said Fox commentator Matt Millen, a former NFL player, after colleague Dick Stockton commented that the Redskins should use a blocked-kick-play against the Eagles’ Eddie Murray. Murray kicked a 30-yard field goal to beat the Redskins, 31-29.

The team’s quest is really getting desperate: Ron Jacobs saw this sign at a ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii--”Rams for Sale.”