Auburn heads next inept group

It was another big weekend for Bottom Ten co-leaders Washington and Washington State, which lost their games by a combined score of 114-0, ratcheting up interest for their annual Apple Core Cup game (date: Nov. 22; fewer than 50,000 tickets still available).

But the Bottom Ten selectors, exhausted by all the fumbles, dropped passes and missed tackles they’ve had to watch, are taking the week off. Instead, they’ve handed off the ball to their colleagues at the Middle Ten, a little known group that honors the teams that are neither good nor bad, just mediocre.

Leader of this easygoing gang is Auburn (4-5), once a top 10 team, believe it or not, whose very ordinary season is symbolized by its thrilling 3-2 win over Mississippi State. Yes, 3-2. It was the most boring game since Oregon and Oregon State tied, 0-0, in 1983 in what is fondly remembered as the Egg Bowl.

Then there’s Marshall, which was rated No. 4 partly because it ranks 97th in the nation in penalties. Yes, Marshall’s players are among the most polite in the nation.

-- Steve Harvey

*--* Wreck, Record Last Loss Next Loss 1. Auburn (4-5) 7-17, Miss Tennessee Martin 2. Clemson (4-4) 21-27, B.C.* Florida St. 3. Houston (4-4) 23-37, Marshall Tulane 4. Marshall (4-4) def. Houston, 37-23 East Carolina 5. Nevada (4-4) Idle Fresno St. 6. Duke (4-4) 30-33, Wake Forest NC State 7. Louisiana Tech (4-4) def. Fresno St., 38-35 San Jose St. 8. Arkansas St. (4-4) 0-35, Alabama Florida Inter. 9. Fordham (4-4) def. Marist, 45-21 Holy Cross 10. Bucknell (4-4) 17-34, Holy Cross Lafayette *--*

*No affiliation with comic strip of same name.

11. Drake (4-4); 12. Wisconsin (4-5); 13. Kansas State (4-5); 14. Colorado (4-5); 15. Virginia (5-4); 16. Nebraska (5-4); 17. Illinois (5-4) 18. Colorado State (4-5); 19. Declined to State; 20. BYU (8-1, masquerading as top 25 team with a one-point win over Washington, seven-point win over Nevada Las Vegas and three-point win over Colorado State).

Average game of the week: Marshall (4-4) vs. East Carolina (4-3).