Week 12 Praemium Terribilis

Cumberland Award – named in honor of the Cumberland team that took a 220-0 thrashing at the hands of Georgia Tech in 1916, this award honors the team that took the soundest beating of national significance in the past week.

Week 12 Winner – California

Not that long ago Cal was undefeated and we had the temerity to question the quality of Ted Tedford's defense. We had one particular Cal fan explaining to us that stats do indeed lie because Cal's defense is of the bend but don't break variety. Well it didn't take long for the breaking to begin. The latest breakage was in the form a 23-37 loss to then 3-7 Washington.

Ron Zook Award – For the coach who is “always getting better," even if that betterment is not discernable to the rest of us.

Week 12 Winner – Ed Orgeron

In his 3rd season as head coach of Ole Miss, Coach O has led the Rebels to a winless season thus far in conference play. Ole Miss has lost 8 games in each of the last two seasons and has lost 8 again with one to play this year. The Rebs are certainly improving in the most Zookian sense of the word.


Ron Powlus Award – Goes to the nationally anointed one and presumptive Heisman candidate that didn’t quite live up to his hype during the past week.

Week 12 Winner – Dennis Dixon

I don't like to give this award out because of an injury but those are the breaks, I guess. You can't win the Heisman if you miss almost 3 complete games. Mr. Dixon, your ticket to NY just got revoked.

Prairie View Award – given each week to the specific squad (offense, defense, special teams or otherwise) that distinguishes itself for pure, unadulterated suckiness. The award is named in honor of the Prairie View Panther team that lost a college football record 80 consecutive games during the 1990’s.

Week 12 Winner – Duke's Defense

As we've documented at length here, Notre Dame's offense is one of the worst in recent memory and Duke surrendered 414 yards of total offense to the Irish along with 28 points. That makes Duke's defense terrible.

The Blue Award – Named after September 1, 2007, the date “everything changed”, this award commemorates the team that overcame enormous odds to their undying detriment, thus losing to a team that they ought to have easily handled.

Week 12 Winner – Oregon

Yes, Dixon went down in Oregon's 34-24 loss but a team in the hunt for a BCS crown doesn't lose a bad Arizona team.

Honorable Mention - Oklahoma, falling to Texas Tech 27-34.


The Roy Riegels Award – Named in memory of Cal Bear Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels who while playing in the 1929 Rose Bowl picked up a Georgia Tech fumble and ran for 65 yards – the wrong direction, costing his team the game. This award honors the college football player who committed a blunder of such enormity that it perhaps single-handedly cost his team the game.

Week 12 Winner – Pat Bostick, QB Pitt

Trailing Rutgers by 4, on 2nd and goal at the Scarlet Knights' 21 yardline with 20 seconds to go Bostick threw an interception that sealed the deal in another loss for the Wannstache. To be fair the award should be shared with Pitt WR Oderick Turner who had caught a TD on the previous play except he got called for offensive pass interference.