STEWART MANDEL'S Extra Points

This off-season the BCS should consider a minimum-ranking requirement for its automatic-qualifier conferences. It looks likely that the Big East will send an unranked champion to the Fiesta Bowl while at least one top 10 team is left out of the five major bowls... . Since replacing preseason all--Big 12 quarterback Jerrod Johnson with Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M has gone on a tear. The Aggies (7--3) have won four straight conference games for the first time since '06, including victories over Oklahoma and Baylor, and are ranked No. 18... . Coach Dennis Erickson may be in his last days at Arizona State. The Sun Devils (4--6) will miss a bowl for the third straight season, and last week's loss to Stanford dropped Erickson's record in Tempe to 23--24.

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