It hurts to say this, but Carr has Michigan playing great on both sides of the ball. Chad Henne looked good against Notre Dame, Mario Manningham had a breakout game, Mike Hart is running strong and the defense is crushing opposing quarterbacks. Rumors of Carr's coaching death have been greatly exaggerated — much to the chagrin of MSU and Ohio State fans.
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A weekly look at the movers and shakers of college football
Lloyd Carr
Louisville
The Cardinals are starting to look more like a MASH unit than a Top 10 football team. They've lost two Heisman hopefuls in three games. Running back Michael Bush is out for the season with a broken leg, and quarterback Brian Brohm is out four to six weeks with strained ligaments in his right thumb.
So why is Louisville "up"? The No. 8 Cardinals beat Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, 31-7, despite Brohm's injury in the third quarter. And their schedule for the next six weeks is a cakewalk. Brohm should be back on the field in time for a Nov. 2 showdown with West Virginia that will almost certainly decide who represents the Big East in the BCS.
Tommy Bowden
The Clemson coach finally got the best of his father in Tallahassee, as Clemson went on the road and beat Florida State on Saturday, 27-20. But Bobby Bowden may not even be alive at this point, at least judging by some of his coaching decisions.
Marcus Thomas
Florida's standout defensive tackle is suspended indefinitely after failing a second drug test, but don't worry: Mom is coming to the rescue! Thomas' mother, Sheila Mote, said her son's positive test is the result of marijuana he smoked early this summer.
"I think that's what happened," Mote said. "That's just my own personal opinion. I'm not an expert."
Referees
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Officiating crews made major blunders in two crucial games last week, possibly costing LSU and Oklahoma victories. Blown calls will happen — it's the nature of the game. But when replay officials make the wrong call despite clear, definitive video evidence, there's a problem. And when officials are actually overturning correct calls (like negating a momentum-swinging pass interference penalty late in the LSU-Auburn game), there's a major problem.
Oklahoma
Sure, the officiating sucked. But the stink the Sooners — especially head coach Bob Stoops — have raised over the issue is overblown. Oklahoma's not the first team to get shortchanged by referees, and they won't be the last. Want to make sure officials don't "cost" your team a game? Execute well enough that calls don't matter. Stopping penetration at the line of scrimmage on last-second field goals would be a good start.
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