Self-proclaimed computer expert John Cooper this week said he hasn't even had time to look at the newly released Bowl Championship Series rankings.

The BCS rankings, which omit all the Big Ten teams from its own Top 10 list — likely due to the fact that everyone in this league keeps beating each other — have the Buckeyes at No. 11, just a hop, skip and a Kansas State away from the Top 10.

But should Ohio State find a way past Big Ten co-leader Purdue on Saturday, expect that leap to happen.

"Obviously, this is a big, big ball game," Cooper said. "I haven't even looked at that computer, at the BCS rankings at all. I'm just worried about Purdue."

All this coming from the same guy who said he couldn't find his way into those chat rooms that bash his coaching style.

Itsa Fumble

Michigan won again last week, which either means one or two things. First, either Lloyd Carr is actually a pretty good coach — this is, of course, the sentiment you'll receive from the other Big Ten coaches; you know, the people whose opinions actually count.

Or, as it has been shown at least once already in Michigan's season, there was a fumble. And Michigan recovered. And therefore, because of this fumble — and nothing else, mind you — Michigan won the game.

Early in the third quarter, with the Wolverines up 7-0, Spartans tailback T.J. Duckett coughed up the pigskin to Michigan defensive lineman Eric Wilson, just eight yards shy of paydirt.

On its ensuing drive, Michigan scored a touchdown, ever careful not to let the football find its way into enemy hands.

"I was very disappointed," Michigan State coach Bobby Williams said. "I was more disappointed when it happened. But the game's over and there's nothing we can do about it. The officiating in the Big Ten has been very good."

Simultaneously, he couldn't help but add his thoughts about replay, now used in the NFL.

He coyly redefined it, however, elaborating on the difference between having one guy review a play, as opposed to having ... one ... guy ... review ... a ... play.

"I don't know if it's necessary instant replay or someone just to review plays," Williams said. "It's something we should definitely talk about."

After the Michigan-Illinois matchup earlier this year, a fumble by the Fighting Illini's Rocky Harvey was so questionable that conference officials issued a statement, one that caused Carr to make his "extreme displeasure" felt around the Big Ten.

This time, he was hardly as vocal.

And perhaps as a coincidence, so was the Big Ten.

"The Big Ten has not made a statement," Carr said. "The conversation that has transpired between (officiating coordinator) Dave Parry and the Big Ten coaches is something I'm not going to get into."

Gopher broke

Leave it to Minnesota coach Glen Mason to find solace in finishing behind the others.

He does it every week on the Big Ten call, always the last to go, often the first to say anything remotely humorous. (That, of course, is assuming either Purdue's Joe Tiller or Penn State's Joe Paterno is having a bad day.)

But last week against Indiana, his team finished behind the others, something it had barely done in Big Ten play. The Gophers fell 51-43 to the Hoosiers. And no, Kurt Warner wasn't the featured quarterback here.

Instead, it was Indiana signal-caller Antwaan Randle El, who dismantled the normally stingy Golden Gophers defense by running for 210 yards and passing for 263 more.

"Whatever we did was bad, I can tell you that," Mason said.

But to his relief, indeed, he was not behind the others yesterday. Carr was.

"You set a new precedent?" Mason jubilantly asked the moderator. "He's going to be last from now on?

"I deserve to be last this week."

No "I" in "Brees"

Following Purdue's loss to Penn State three weeks ago — still its only Big Ten loss — quarterback Drew Brees quickly laced everyone but himself for the 22-20 defeat, focusing on the "need" for the special teams to improve.

"Coach" Brees' comments were made public the next day, but seemingly, they didn't disrupt the chemistry of the team.

In fact, when Joe Tiller was asked yesterday what he said to Brees following the game, he threw in a little of that "honesty is always the best policy" jive.

"My comment that particular week was that it didn't bother me, it remained with the team and didn't become personal," Tiller said. "I didn't think he was negative. He was saying what he felt.

"Young people are young people, and sometimes they say things the way they mean to say them, and sometimes they are misinterpreted."

Quote of the week

"We tried to tackle him. It didn't work." — Mason, on Randle El