Tuesday, January 8, 2008.

There may be a little uncertainty surrounding Boise State right now, but how would you like to be Hawaii? In one short week, the program’s gone from the cusp of glory, with a date against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, to the depths of despair with yesterday’s resignation of coach June Jones. How about this breaking news headline on the Honolulu Advertiser’s website yesterday: “Jones’ departure throws program into chaos.” That’s all you need to know. University of Hawaii president David McClain publicly apologized to Warriors fans—then called a press conference today to reportedly fire athletic director Herman Frazier, who was asleep at the wheel. Wow.

For Jones, it’s a great move. SMU is flush with money, and there’s no reason he can’t take those facilities and the Texas recruiting hotbed and make the Mustangs a power in a vulnerable Conference USA. SMU was 1-11 this season, a situation eerily similar to the one he walked into at Hawaii in 1999—the Warriors had been 0-12, and Jones turned them around. For Hawaii, it’s the worst thing that could happen. The Warriors not only lose their beloved coach, they also have to try to keep their 2008 recruiting class scotch-taped together in the face of a public relations nightmare, right down to the dredging up of Colt Brennan’s old complaint about no soap in the showers. When comparing SMU’s facilities with Hawaii’s yesterday, Jones said, “You're talking about the NFL and a Pop Warner team."

The announcement that Hawaii wide receiver Davone Bess is forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL Draft pales in comparison to the June Jones saga. But it magnifies the fact that the Warriors will be a much different team next season. Bess takes 293 career receptions and 41 touchdowns, both Hawaii career records, out of the mix. He also set single-season and single-game records with 108 receptions in 2007, 15 of them against Boise State. The Warriors already have lost two of their other dreadhead foursome at wideout, as Jason Rivers and C.J. Hawthorne are seniors. And now UH fans worry that junior Ryan Grice-Mullins may follow Bess to the NFL.

Bowl season has come to a close with LSU’s 38-24 win over Ohio State last night in the BCS Championship game. BSU has three bowl teams on its non-conference schedule in 2008, with a certain foe 400 miles to the west front-and-center. There is significance in Oregon’s 56-21 romp over South Florida in the Sun Bowl, as in: the Broncos will be faced with getting their first-ever road win versus a BCS school, the one they didn’t get at Husky Stadium, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The loss of Dennis Dixon may not doom the Ducks after all, as one-time fifth-stringer Justin Roper burst on the scene with his first start and passed for four touchdowns against the Bulls. One wild card is junior running back Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for 253 yards in the Sun Bowl and may declare early for the NFL Draft. Deadline is a week from today.

Bowling Green was looking like a legit opponent on the 2008 schedule, having gone 8-4 in the regular season, including 6-2 in the MAC, and making the GMAC Bowl. But it was there the Falcons were decimated 63-7 by Tulsa Sunday night, the biggest blowout ever in a bowl game. Greg Brandon, the guy who replaced Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, is still there—for better or for worse. And Southern Miss had to muddle through with Jeff Bower standing on the sidelines after being unceremoniously ushered out the door, losing to Cincinnati in the Papa John’s.com Bowl, 31-21. The Golden Eagles will be under new coach Larry Fedora when the Broncos visit in September.

Predictably, it’s back to “Others Receiving Votes” for BSU as the final 2007 rankings were released last night. If you count down beyond the Top 25, the Broncos are No. 30 on the AP list and 29 in the Coaches Poll after their 41-38 loss to East Carolina in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. BSU had been ranked 24th and 22nd, respectively. Hawaii didn’t drop as far as some had expected after the blowout at the Sugar Bowl. After being ranked 10th in both polls going in, the Warriors finish 19th in AP and 17th in the Coaches Poll.

Boise State hoops coach Greg Graham is hoping his team doesn’t regain consciousness any time soon. Because the Broncos have been lights out from the field this season, passing Kansas and Georgetown over the weekend to take the national lead in field goal percentage at 52.6 percent. BSU’s lead character has been Matt Nelson, who yesterday was awarded his second consecutive WAC Player of the Week honor. The senior post has made 26 of his last 30 shots—that’s 87 percent—and he’s shooting 67 percent for the season. The going gets tougher now for the 11-3 Broncos Thursday night when they host WAC preseason favorite New Mexico State in Taco Bell Arena.

Coby Karl played in his first game Saturday since returning to the Lakers from the D-League, and he set personal bests—modest as they are. Karl played 12 minutes in the Lakers’ 124-93 rout of the Sixers at Staples Center, scoring four points and pulling down a rebound and making his first NBA steal. Coby was recalled from the D-League Christmas Eve and would like to maintain the rhythm he developed with the L.A. D-Fenders, for whom he averaged 18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 10 games.

The Idaho Steelheads come home this week after a winning road trip, and it doesn’t take any manipulation of overtime or shootout losses to call it that. The Steelheads were a clean 5-2 on the long swing, and they did it without leading scorers Mark Bomersback, who was called up to Iowa one game into the trip, and Greg Rallo, who hasn’t played since suffering an injury December 15. So who steps up? The Rooster. Lance Galbraith is now the team’s scoring leader, tallying 32 points. Galbraith hasn’t shied away from what’s made him famous, though—he leads the ECHL in penalty minutes with 140. The Steelies return to the Qwest Arena ice tomorrow night against the Utah Grizzlies.

This Day In Sports…January 8, 2007:

Shortly after Florida routs Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS Championship Game, the final college football rankings place Boise State no. 5 in the AP Poll and no. 6 in the Coaches Poll—needless to say, the school’s highest rankings ever. The nation was still abuzz a week after the Broncos’ now-legendary 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Many called for a playoff system so a team like BSU, the only undefeated school in the country, could play a team like Florida. But the Broncos were satisfied with the ending…and their place in college football lore. It was the fourth time in five years BSU finished the season in the Top 15.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 1350 KTIK/The Ticket. He also handles color commentary on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football.)

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