To start, a few crackbacks:

1. Bill Callahan's throat slashing was something I took with a grain of salt when I first saw it. Then he tried to explain it. At first, he claimed he didn't do it, saying, "I'm 49 years old, and I don't go around (making) throat-slashing signs and symbols...I don't use that type of demeanor, and I never have." Really Bill? Cause you did. We all saw you. It was only a day later that he joked about "gesturegate" and mentioned that he makes that gesture to his kids "all the time...that I'm fed up to here". I'm not sure that makes him worse as a father than he is as a football coach, but that's assuming the Shuckers can get two wins out of the next three. I'm pretty sure even the Callahan clan could get a W over Kansas and Kansas St.

2. Speaking of getting wins over Kansas, will someone remind Brad Smith that his 8th year of eligibility isn't over for a few more weeks? Guy puts on a show to win, essentially in spite of his team, against Husker. Then decides to phone it in against Kansas Blue? Going 15/39 for 147 yards isn't the worst day, but 20 runs for 38 yards? Take a note: Brad Smith got exposed last week, and Misery is doomed. Baylor may get bowl eligible on the Tiggers' backs and Kansas Purple might get another W when Smith and whoever else is on this team make the trip to Manhattan.

3. Somebody has to win the North. Colorado almost coughed it up on Saturday, and if they had it would mark one of the darkest days in Big 12 history. The fact that Colorado will win their division and wind up in the Houston bowl isn't just sad, it's embarassing. The fact is, the North needs to revamp some of the offenses to attract good players to locales where the climate is dismal, the politics conservative, and the campuses flat. When the Shuckers were piling up championship hardware and Kansas Purple was always a top ten team, it was easy to shop the programs. Now, uh, not so much.

Now on to our regularly scheduled program:

I'm watching gleefully as the Texas A&M program crumbles and have to wonder to myself, how long before Dennis Franchione winds up tied to a stake, flames licking the bottom of his maroon Nikes? The Ramblin' Fran took over after RC Slocum was unceremoniously relieved of his duties (so he could become one of, if not the worst commentator in all of college football history), to the delight of the Aggie nation. Fran was coming off seven consecutive winning seasons at New Mexico, TCU, and a 10-3 season at Alabama. Fran was labeled as a guy who could turn your program around, and that's just what the tradition rich Aggies were looking for. RC was notorious for putting an intense, high pressure, attacking defense on the field with some of the most mediocre offensive talent and playcalling in the country. Now that RC was gone, Fran would put together an offense to go with the stingy Wrecking Crew. The Aggies would return to the success of the past. How wrong the Aggie faithful turned out to be. The only Wrecking Crew in College Station boards up the wrong side of windows when a hurricane comes to town.

The Aggies are 11-13 under Fran. To avoid a second losing season under Rambling Fran, they have to win at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma, or in College Station against Texas. None of those seem appealing. No one thought the Aggies would go to the Rose Bowl this year, but they did expect that tilt the day after Thanksgiving against the Horns to mean something. They took the loss at Clemson as something of an aberration, a one point road loss to a decent out of conference school. The subsequent dismantling of SMyoo sowed seeds of confidence. That was followed by a truly unimpressive showing against IAA Texas State (oddly enough, not quarterbacked by Scott Bakula of Quantum Leap fame), a home overtime win against Baylor, and a 21 point drumming at the hands of Colorado. At that point 3-2 wasn't great but acceptable. Then conference lamb Okie State came to Kyle Field and was greeted with a 62-23 trouncing and Aggie fan reverted to his grandiose delusions. But a close win at Kansas Purple (30-28) and last week's brutal dealings with Cyclone State (14-42) have the Aggies reeling.

At some point, somebody has to pay the price. Look first for defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. His head will be rolling past you soon. After the defeat against ISU, Torbush confirmed suspicions that he stunk up the game, by immediately retreating to the showers and bailing before the press could get to him. So this upcoming schedule is Fran's only chance. He'll be there next year, but Aggies are not patient when it comes to their football. Fran's about to finish his second losing season in three years. RC had two 6-6 seasons, but the last losing season prior to Fran's 4-8 in 2003? 1982. 23 years ago. Under Jackie Sherrill. Soon enough, Fran will be Ramblin' on to the next stop.