By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

College football has reached December. Meaning, of course, it won't be long until the Continental Tire Bowl.

Also, with the regular season down to the last morsels, it's a good time to hand out awards. The envelopes please...

GAME OF THE YEAR: No Miami bid for a national championship is complete without a last-second missed Florida State field goal. On Oct. 12, it was wide left, saving the Hurricanes' 28-27 victory and No. 1 ranking. Miami came from 27-14 behind in the fourth quarter to slither by.

The kicker who missed, Xavier Beitia, cried for an hour after the game and met with the team chaplain. Said Miami coach Larry Coker, "I'm an old man, and it's the best football game I've ever seen."

PLAY OF THE YEAR: It wasn't just fourth-and-1 for Ohio State at Purdue. It was fourth-and-everything. The Big Ten title, the Fiesta Bowl, a shot at the national championship. That's when Craig Krenzel hit Michael Jenkins for a 37-yard touchdown pass with 1:36 left to push the Buckeyes past the Boilermakers 10-6.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Kudos to Ohio State's Jim Tressel, applause for Miami's Larry Coker, cheers for Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. But the vote still goes to Tyrone Willingham, who in the hottest of jobs revived Notre Dame to national prominence without any offense recognizable to the naked eye.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: In other words, the Heisman ballot. There isn't an ironclad case in sight, but the vote goes to ... Iowa's Brad Banks. The nation's top-rated quarterback passed for 25 touchdowns, ran for five more, threw only four interceptions, and was the shining beacon for the Hawkeyes' stunning 11-1 season. He wasn't even on the radar screen when the season started, so he earned it the way a Heisman should be won ... on the field during the season, and not via reputation or billboard.

Second to USC's Carson Palmer. Third to Miami's Ken Dorsey. Banks gets the edge because he had to do so much to bring his team so far. Near-misses to Marshall's Byron Leftwich (points off for sugar-cookie schedule) and Penn State's Larry Johnson (tempting with his 2,000 rushing yards, but he averaged only 71 per game against Michigan, Iowa and Ohio State).

FLOP OF THE YEAR: Michigan State went from Big Ten title contender to a disaster so enormous, its coach couldn't survive the 4-8 season.

DARK DAYS AWARD: At 7-6, this is Nebraska's worst season in 41 years. A program that lost eight times in Tom Osborne's last seven seasons has now lost that many in its last 15 games. Frank Solich can buy some time by shaking up his staff, but not much.

SURPRISE OF THE YEAR: Iowa at 11-1. Had the Hawkeyes not blown a 24-7 lead to Iowa State, they'd be unbeaten and arguing about a Fiesta Bowl bid.

UPSET OF THE YEAR: Not one stands out. Boston College over Notre Dame, Louisville over Florida State, Connecticut over Iowa State. Or else split the vote for Oklahoma, half for its loss at Texas A&M, half for its loss at Oklahoma State. But this spot is still being left open for Virginia Tech at Miami. Just in case.

TREND OF THE YEAR: Post-game mayhem on the field, from Hawaii to North Carolina State, as civility came down with the goalposts.

OUTRAGE OF THE YEAR, IF IT HAPPENS: Notre Dame over USC for a BCS at-large berth.

NON-BCS TEAM OF THE YEAR: Kansas State. Its two losses were by a total of seven points. Its 10 wins, by average of 42.8.

STAT OF THE YEAR: Miami's 33-game winning streak. It won't be appreciated until it's gone.