Pat Forde writes for espn.com and usually has some really interesting stuff in his columns. I was quoting so much of it to Lee for the past 10 minutes, I decided to compile it all here. All of it but the last paragraph about George Teague is from this week's column.

Now that the [Vanderbilt] Commodores have climbed the bowl-eligible mountain by defeating Kentucky and moving to the dizzying heights of 6-4, it's time to consider just how long it's been since The V has played a postseason game. Last time it happened was 1982, when:

Bear Bryant was not only still alive but still coaching Alabama.

Leonid Brezhnev was not only still alive but still leading the Soviet Union.

Barack Obama was a 21-year-old undergrad at Columbia.

Michael Jackson released "Thriller."

This new home accessory called the computer was Time Magazine's Man of the Year.

So it's been a while. Put down the textbooks and live it up, Commodores -- after 17 consecutive losses when you had the chance to become bowl-eligible, the 18th try was the charm.

The Atlantic Coast Conference was supposed to be Clemson and a bunch of schmoes. Instead, it's a bunch of schmoes and a sub-schmo Clemson train wreck.

What happened: The Tigers have staggered to a coach-firing 5-5, leaving the league to an indistinguishable muddle of 7-3 and 6-4 teams -- one of which will stumble its way into a BCS bowl. Which should assure the ACC of a 10th BCS bowl loss in 11 tries. Only Miami currently is riding anything longer than a two-game winning streak.

The Big East was supposed to be a one-quarterback show -- all Pat White, all the time. Instead it belongs (for the moment) to a team that has played five QBs this season -- that would be Cincinnati, which somehow leads the conference in passing efficiency despite a revolving door at the most important position.

What happened: White has had a spotty season at West Virginia and may not reach either his sophomore or junior totals for total offense. Meanwhile, the Bearcats are 8-2 and hunting their first BCS bowl berth, despite some rotten QB luck. They hoped their signal-caller would be Ben Mauk, but he lost an NCAA appeal for a sixth year of eligibility. Next up was Dustin Grutza, but he broke a leg in the second game of the season and just came back last week at Louisville. Then it was Tony Pike, taking over until he broke an arm in late September and missed the first two games of October. That cleared the way for Chazz Anderson to throw 75 passes in three games in the middle of the season. Since coming back, Pike has been briefly spelled by Zach Collaros in two games and Demetrius Jones (the Notre Dame transfer) in one. No wonder Brian Kelly is currently one of the hottest names in coaching circles.

Michigan To Rod: Don't Pull A Kipke

In the illustrious history of Michigan football, 12 coaches have played against Ohio State. Their record in their first game in this rivalry: 10-1-1. Only Harry Kipke failed to get it done, in 1929. The rundown: [see table]

So no pressure Rod, but you'd be making one more bit of horrible history this season with a loss Saturday. A 3-9 record and the first debut loss to the Buckeyes in 79 years? Not ideal.

The Not-Great Eight

ESPN research monster Brett Edgerton passes along the following reason for Ohio State fans to root for Vanderbilt this week and/or Kentucky next week when they play Tennessee: With one more loss, the Volunteers will join Michigan at the eight-loss plateau for the first time ever.

And that would leave Ohio State as the only current FBS school to have never lost eight games in a season. The Volunteers will have to win back-to-back games for the first time since last November -- when they beat Vandy and Kentucky -- to avoid that fate.

Putting Out An APB For ...

Meanwhile, The Dash is pleased to report that last week's APB subject, former Alabama safety George Teague is alive and well and living in Carrollton, Texas, where he is the athletic director at Carrollton Christian Academy. Thanks to all Dash spies who supplied info on the man who took the ball from Miami's Lamar Thomas like candy from a baby in the 1993 Sugar Bowl in the greatest play that never counted (it was wiped out by a penalty). [We were offsides.]