5-at-10: Title game delay, big days in Big Ten and Uggla money

Let’s get going.

Title game countdown

Five days from the BCS title game and the commercials are worse than the wait. Seriously, one more Brent Musberger voice-over about the “Game is almost here,” is going to end with violence.

The “game is almost here,” – that’s what we’re going with? Really? What, did Santa’s people veto the “Game’s coming to town” early in the process?

Anyhoo, roughly 130 hours from now the Oregon-Auburn showdown will kickoff, and here’s today’s need-to-know preview tidbits:

– Auburn is practicing at Scottsdale Community College, the home of the Fighting Artichokes. That has to be considered an early advantage, right? The Fighting Artichokes is better nickname than even the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs.

– With the slow pace and marathon halftime shows during these BCS games, Monday’s title game may take roughly four days. Seriously, these BCS games are running so late and ending around midnight. And if you think that’s a good thing, ask Major League Baseball about slow games and postseason action ending after 11:30 p.m. on the East Coast.

– I’m about tired of hearing about Oregon’s pace. That said, knowing the Ducks pounded Stanford, which has been arguably the most impressive bowl team this side of Alabama, gives Oregon a little more street cred.

Big day for Big Ten team

Ohio State winked at critics and made pinkie swears about players returning next fall to face the music to exorcise its SEC demons. And it was barely enough.

With the five soon-to-be-suspended players on the field – and carrying a lot of the weight for the Buckeyes – OSU toppled Arkansas 31-26 in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday. It was OSU’s first bowl win over the SEC in its last 10 tries.

Led by quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who threw for more than 200 yards and ran for more than 100, the Buckeyes ended the Big Ten’s bowl slide, which ranged somewhere between avalanche and tidal wave after a bagel-for-5 showing on New Year’s Day.

Here’s my question about Pryor and Co. – the five OSU players who were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl but will miss the first five games next fall for violating NCAA rules about receiving illegal benefits: OSU coach Jim Tressel made the five underclassmen that could enter the NFL draft promise to return for the penalties next season before allowing them to play in the Sugar Bowl win, but what happens if say Pryor or running back Dan Herron and receiver DeVier Posey – each of whom likely has some form of NFL future – gets injured in August practice? Who’s on the hook if Pryor blows out a knee in the spring game?

Bigger day for different Big Ten team

Michigan will decide the fate of coach Rich Rodriguez today. It’s still up in the air whether the Wolverines will end the wild ride that has been Rich Rod’s three years.

Let’s examine the good and the bad from Rich Rod’s time, which is halfway through the six-year, $15 million contract he signed:

GOOD

– The offense has become fun to watch, especially against Indiana, Illinois and a lot of the directional schools that fill out the nonconference schedule.

– The defense has been sooooo cute when they try to tackle people.

– The intrigue and rumor of will they/won’t they fire Rich Rod and who will they hire/can they get Harbaugh has been fun for most of us.

BAD

– Think of the jobs lost when they close the Ann Arbor satellite NCAA office because Rich Rod is no longer there.

– Uh, the last two games – a 37-7 loss to Ohio State and a 52-14 bowl loss to Mississippi State – are not exactly the springboard most would want going into the today’s Rodriguez questioning.

We’ll see.

World-class consistency

In the pantheon of great sports organizations, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to near the top of the list.

Look at the recent numbers: Since 1970, the Steelers have won 20 divison titles. That’s right in 40 years, they have 20 division championships. The 5-at-10 may have struggled in math, but that’s right at half. That’s pretty doggone unbelievable.

The biggest thing for the Steelers’ run has been the fact that they have had three head coaches – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and current leader Mike Tomlin – during that run. Makes you go hmmm, considering the number of NFL coaching jobs that are open right now, huh?

In fact, if there was a franchise Mount Rushmore, the Steelers would be there with the Boston Celtics, the New York Yankees and the Montreal Canadiens (well, you know, if hockey was a sport).

Uggla new deal

Somewhere Ryne Sandberg just threw up in his mouth a little bit – and there’s no telling what Robbie Alomar may do – because of the monster contract Dan Uggla agreed to with the Atlanta Braves.

Sandberg, the former Cubs great second baseman, and Alomar, who ranks among the best second baseman of all time and one of the game’s most troubled figures whose lasting image may be spitting in an umpire’s face, were dominant players at the position. Uggla, who is a fine player and figures to be a nice piece in the Braves’ new-look lineup, agreed to a five-year, $62 million deal.

Uggla is one of the game’s better hitting second basemen, but wow that’s some coin.

Alomar, who may be elected to the Hall of Fame today, made $76.7 million in his 17-year career in the majors according to baseball-reference.com. Sandberg made $24.9 million in his 16 years.

Until tomorrow.