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No QB problem for Sooners

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 20, 2001

Similar situations might ruin another team. One quarterback wins a closely contested battle for the starting position. Then he is injured and watches his backup lead the team to a big victory. The starter gets his job back, struggles, and gets benched.

Quarterback controversy? Not at Oklahoma, where sophomore Jason White is replacing Nate Hybl for the No. 2 Sooners, who play Baylor today. White got the nod because of his performances in relief the past two weeks. Hybl appears to be fine with the move.

White guided the Sooners to a 14-3 victory against Texas after Hybl injured his shoulder late in the first quarter. Hybl started last week against Kansas, but was ineffective through four drives. White took over and threw four touchdowns in a 38-10 victory.

"After (Hybl's) inconsistency in the Kansas game and Jason having played well in the last two games, we feel he has earned the opportunity to be the starter in this game and we'll take it from there," coach Bob Stoops said this week. "I think we've proven we can win with both quarterbacks, and no one can argue with that because it's happened against two good football teams."

White, of course, was happy. "It feels great to try to lead a great team and a great tradition here at Oklahoma."

And Hybl handled the demotion with class: "I just came out not sharp. A couple of key plays I looked at on film were just disgusting. It wasn't the same feeling. I feel like the coaches understood that, and their choice was obviously right."

NO QUIT: There have been more than a few calls for his retirement, on top of more criticism than he's likely received in his career. Joe Paterno is 0-4 and Penn State is off to its worst start in 115 years of football. But Paterno is undeterred.

In fact, Paterno said he would like to finish the final three years of his contract, maybe go even longer, despite 14 losses in his past 20 regular-season games.

"I feel good physically," Paterno said. "If I could eliminate going into the office and having to autograph 40 things or having (the sports publicity office) sticking 28 things in front of me saying, "This guy from New York wants to talk to you'. ... If I could eliminate all that kind of stuff and eliminate press conferences and having a television game every week, because the commentators want to spend time with you. ... If I could eliminate that, I might coach until I'm 90. If I stayed healthy. I really enjoy the coaching part of it, to be honest with you."

Unfortunately for JoePa, all that other stuff goes with the job.

BCS MADNESS: The first Bowl Championship Series standings will be released Monday, and by almost every projection, No. 1-ranked Miami will be nowhere near the top two spots. The first two teams in the final BCS standings will play for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

UM coach Larry Coker says he is not concerned about the standings. At least not now. He instead is having his team focus on playing the games.

"To do anything else isn't a trap door, it's the Grand Canyon," Coker said. "You can do it, not be ready and lose a game that you shouldn't. When it happens, you go right off the face of the Earth.

"Look what happened to Florida at Auburn. You have to be concerned about games. They are what you control. You don't control computers. If we finish the season unbeaten and aren't in the championship game, then I would be for a playoff system."

AROUND THE NATION: Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has accounted for 935 yards in total offense in the Tigers' past two games. In four loses this season, Penn State has 915 yards in total offense. ... Kansas State has lost three in a row for the first time since 1992. Sitting on a rickety chair in the postgame interview from after last week's loss to Texas Tech, coach Bill Snyder summed up his team's plight: "The bottom won't fall out, will it?" ... With Florida State's home winning streak over, Oregon has the nationallead with 23 in a row at home, followed by Fresno State (17). Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Nebraska each have won 16 in a row at home.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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