Stewart Mandel's Three-Point Stance

1 Now that Clemson has parted ways with perennial underachiever Tommy Bowden, its first call should go to Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson. A Clemson alum with 26 years of coaching experience in South Carolina, Johnson would inject much-needed discipline and fundamentals into a program brimming with talent.

2 Rice senior Jarett Dillard is finishing up a terrific career. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game (112.3) and touchdowns (11) and recently became the NCAA career leader in TD catches (51), surpassing former Louisiana Tech star Troy Edwards.

3 Minnesota's Tim Brewster is a coach-of-the-year candidate. The Gophers, who finished 1--11 last season, improved to 6--1 with a 27--20 win over Illinois last Saturday, thanks in large part to freshman tailback DeLeon Eskridge, who ran for 124 yards and two TDs.