Keep on dogging it

So it comes down to this: Washington needs one more defeat. Just one more. All the Huskies’ fumbles, bad passes and missed tackles won’t mean a thing unless they can find a way to fall to Cal (7-4) on Saturday.

If the Huskies can come apart in this must-lose crucial, then they’ll capture the coveted Bottom Ten trophy. But if they should somehow knock off Cal, the 2008 chumps would be the funny little SMUs (1-11).

The SMUs recovered from a heartbreaking victory in their second game of the season to stage an admirable comeback, dropping their last 10 games. Meanwhile, ex-Bottom Ten member Tennessee (5-7) announced that Lane Kiffin had agreed to be head coach once he was given assurances that Al Davis would not be named athletic director.

-- Steve Harvey

*--* Wreck, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Washington (0-11) 13-16, Washington St. California 2. The SMUs (1-11) 12-28, Southern Ole Miss None 3. Washington St. (2-11) 10-24, Hawaii None 4. Tulane (2-10) 6-45, Memphis None 5. Michigan (3-9) 7-42, Ohio St. None 6. Iowa St. (2-10) 30-38, Kansas St. None 7. New Mexico St. (3-9) 2-47, Utah State* None 8. Utah State (3-9) def. New Mexico St., 47-2** None 9. Holy Toledo (3-9) 10-38, Bowling Green None 10. Syracuse (3-9) 3-30, Cincinnati None *--*

*Not a typographical error; **Still not a typographical error.

11. Notre Dame (6-6); 12. San Diego State (2-10); 13. Indiana (3-9); 14. Texas A&M; (4-8); 15. Arkansas (5-7); 16. UNLV (5-7); 17. Auburn (5-7); 18. Baylor (4-8); 19. Suspended for academic violations; 20. BCS (its No. 1 ranked team, Alabama, is a nine-point underdog against its No. 4 team, Florida).

Rout of the week: Florida (11-1) over Alabama (12-0).

Dishonorable mention: Notre Dame gained its initial first down against USC on the final play of the third quarter. (Hopeful signs such as this are what persuaded Notre Dame to retain Charlie Weis as head coach.)