By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

Here's to the losers. For them, the BCS is another universe.

Those at the top chase the bowl bids and their spoils - imperious Oklahoma, new No. 2 Southern California, hopeful LSU. At the bottom are teams who could warn how quickly fate in college football can turn.

Here's to Illinois, two years ago 10-2 and in the Sugar Bowl. A major BCS player.

The Illini finished a 1-11 season Saturday by losing to Northwestern, allowing 444 yards rushing. For the season, they had a minus-18 in turnover margin and gave up 223 yards on the ground a game. Take away a close loss to Indiana, and they lost their other seven Big Ten games by an average of 29 points.

"If you can't stop the run, you have no chance to win," coach Ron Turner said. "If you turn the ball over, you have no chance to win. If you do both of them, you really have no chance to win."

Here's to North Carolina. Two years ago, the Tar Heels were smashing Florida State 41-9.

On Saturday, they were closing a 2-10 season by losing to Duke for the first time since 1989, when the Blue Devils' coach was named Steve Spurrier.

The Tar Heels were behind 23-0 at halftime. For the season, they coughed up 505 yards and 38 points a game.

"For me," coach John Bunting said Saturday, "the 2004 season starts tomorrow."

Here's to Iowa State, who a year ago was going to its third straight bowl, beating Iowa for the fifth straight time, savoring its most lopsided win over Nebraska (36-14) since 1899.

But the Cyclones take a 2-9 record to Missouri this week. They have been outscored by their Big 12 opponents 298-64, while trying three quarterbacks and being happy with none.

"We don't need Marino. We don't need Terry Bradshaw," coach Dan McCarney said Saturday after a 36-7 loss to Kansas. "We'd just like to get somebody in there with some consistency, and stop this nonsense of rolling quarterbacks through there."

Here's to Temple. Last in the Big East. Again. But the 1-10 Owls took Virginia Tech to overtime and gave Pittsburgh trouble.

"Deep down inside," coach Bobby Wallace said, "they're not sure they can win against a team like Pittsburgh or Virginia Tech. Then they get in the game and realize, 'we can do this.' "

Here's to Vanderbilt, who at least ended its 23-game SEC losing streak this 2-10 season. But Saturday, the Commodores lost to in-state rival - rival? - Tennessee for the 21st straight time, the last three by 110-0.

"We have a long way to go," said coach Bobby Johnson, 4-20 in his first two seasons. "Nobody had any misconceptions when we arrived."

Stat of the week

After 11 games last year, USC quarterback Carson Palmer had thrown for 28 touchdowns with only eight interceptions on his way to the Heisman. After 11 games this season, USC quarterback Matt Leinart has thrown for 30 touchdowns with only seven interceptions and is seldom mentioned as a Heisman candidate.

Thumbs of the week

• Up to Tommy Bowden. Embattled Clemson coach first upsets dad and Florida State, then wipes out Lou Holtz and South Carolina 63-17. They like you now. They really like you.

• Up to Washington. Late TD drives beat Washington State for sixth straight time, prevent first losing record in 27 years.

• Down to BYU: Cougars blanked by Utah 3-0, suffer first shutout in 28 years (361 games).