STEWART MANDEL'S Extra Points

Will Muschamp's departure from Texas shows again that anointing an assistant as the future coach often backfires. Either the incumbent is pushed out or the successor tires of waiting.... The perceived East Coast bias that long plagued West Coast Heisman candidates has been rendered irrelevant by the explosion of nationally televised games. This year three of the four finalists, including runner-up Andrew Luck of Stanford, played west of the Rockies.... In its attempt to recapture glory, Colorado is emphasizing school ties. First-time head coach Jon Embree, a Buffs standout in the mid-1980s, hired former stars Eric Bieniemy (who will be a first-time offensive coordinator) and Kanavis McGhee (an ex-NFL Europa assistant who's a high school teacher in Houston).

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AL TIELEMANS