The Coastal Awards

By John Scheibe
collegeblitz@gmail.com

Tripping along the Ventura highway, the Coast Watcher takes a bead from Santa Claus and the UCLA defensive line, and puts a rush on analyzing the football season. With the holidays on the way, there are plenty of kudos and lumps of coal to wrap. Here are the gifts:

Best performance by a coach: By a landslide, UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker for his game plan against USC. The Bruins pressured John David Booty all afternoon, shut down USC's running game and held the Trojans to just nine points. And the Bruins didn't have to play the game of their lives to do it.

Worst performance by a coach: The lump of coal goes to Pete Carroll for his failure to adjust his offensive line's blocking assignments  against UCLA's defensive ends Bruce Davis and Justin Hickman, who had clear paths to the USC backfield, sometimes arriving there before the ball did.

Most raised eyebrows: There had to be plenty in South Bend, Ind., Saturday night after UCLA's 13-9 shocker at the Rose Bowl. It was just a week earlier that Nortre Dame, with 18 seniors and ranked No. 5 in the BCS, got rolled, 44-24, by the Trojans. Domer fans had to be wondering how a .500 team could do what the Irish couldn't.

Quickest exit by a coach: Stanford's Walt Harris. A waisted two seasons at Palo Alto. He should have stayed at Pitt. True, Harris' team had a host of injuries but 1-11 won't cut it in a new stadium, especially with California just up the Bay Shore Freeway.

Best lobbying award: Co-winners, Urban Meyer and Charlie Weis. Weis would have gotten the edge after he conned poll voters into believing Notre Dame was a top 10 team. Didn't they watch the Michigan and UCLA games? Meyer made a late move with his bellowing to play Ohio State, taking a page out of Texas' Mack Brown's playbook. Be careful what you ask for. Does anyone remember the South Carolina game?

Most improved: Stocking stuffers to Oregon State, Arkansas and Nebraska. Mike Riley's Beavers beat USC, finished 8-4 and earned a berth in the Sun Bowl. The Hogs were blitzed by USC in their opener, but gathered themselves and got to the SEC championship game. The Cornhuskers played USC tough on the road, had Texas on the ropes and got the the Big 12 title match.

Least improved: Washington and Arizona St. Washington's season rode on the arm and legs of Isaiah Stanback, but when he went down, the Huskies were done. The Sun Devils' season got cold water poured over it when coach Dick Koetter abruptly changed quarterbacks before the season opener, sparking a near-mutiny among several players. It and a disappointing season cost Koetter his job.

Time to go: Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno.

Same old, same old: The Big Ten, two winners, nine also rans.

Season's nicest surprise: Rutgers, from coast to coast, a breath of fresh air.

Wire to wire award: Ohio State, No. 1 in preseason polls, No. 1 going into the BCS championship Jan. 8 against Florida.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy New Year!