Football | Pac-10, Big Ten likely to be blamed for lack of playoff

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — If the "plus-one" playoff model is rejected, as expected, leaving the sport with at least another six years of status quo, an angry public won't need a posse to find the culprits.

The Pac-10 and Big Ten conferences, along with the Rose Bowl, already have been identified in wanted posters. Sports Illustrated recently described the triad as "the axis of obstruction."

"I think it's an interesting label, but it's a caricature," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Tuesday during a break at the annual meeting of Bowl Championships Series commissioners.

There probably is not going to be a playoff in college football, and Delany might get blamed for it, along with Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen and Rose Bowl executive Mitch Dorger.

All have opposed a change in the current BCS system, which in its 10-year history has been controversial.

The Rose Bowl has received blame in some media accounts.

"Maybe they've created an impression that doesn't exist," Dorger said.

Dorger has an opinion but no clout in this playoff fight, and the Rose Bowl will go where the BCS wind blows.

"There are 11 votes, and I'm not one of them," Dorger said.

Some at the Rose Bowl might regret ever joining the BCS 10 years ago to help college football patch together some sort of a No. 1 versus No. 2 title game, but the Pasadena, Calif., bowl is in the BCS to stay.

It will host its annual game in January 2010 and, a week later, the BCS National Championship Game.

Has the BCS been good for the Rose Bowl?

"That's a great question," Delany said.

His answer was that, overall, it has been a good thing, but that is open to interpretation.

The Rose Bowl's inclusion in the BCS helped assure there would be a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup but it has lost more schools to the cause than it imagined.

Dorger said he was told, based on precedent, he could expect to lose an anchor school once every four years to the BCS title game.

What he didn't envision was USC's hiring Pete Carroll, unemployed at the time, and Ohio State's taking a chance on a coach from Youngstown State named Jim Tressel — and those two coaches, almost immediately, taking their schools to the top of the BCS.

Since 2001, the Rose Bowl has five times lost either USC or Ohio State to the championship game.

Delany said his conference has been consistent in opposing any sort of playoff. He pointed out that, about 36 months ago, all six BCS commissioners rejected the "plus-one" playoff model.

WSU lineman

Roof is arrested

PULLMAN — Andy Roof, a Washington State defensive tackle, has been arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault.

Police say the 22-year-old Roof allegedly head-butted a man who was keeping him out of a private party on Pullman's College Hill on Saturday. He allegedly fought more men at the party before being arrested.

Pullman Police Commander Chris Tennant said alcohol was involved.

If the alleged victims were hurt seriously, Roof could face felony third- or second-degree assault charges, Tennant told The Spokesman-Review of Spokane.

Roof, a former standout at East Valley High School in Spokane, told reporters earlier this spring he had stopped drinking after being kicked out of WSU last year for alcohol offenses.

Football spokesman Bill Stevens said coaches know about the incident and will gather more information before deciding appropriate penalties.

Florida State's Parker

faces weapons charge

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State receiver Preston Parker is facing a weapons charge. A petty-theft charge against him was dropped.

Parker paid $200 in court costs to drop the 2006 misdemeanor of allegedly stealing a $9.99 DVD from a store.

Parker was arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor charge of possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana and the felony charge of having a loaded .45-caliber pistol in the dash of his car.

The weapons charge in Palm Beach County must be resolved before he can rejoin the team.

Parker, 21, was selected Florida State's most valuable player on offense last season.