Eastern Michigan

It was fun while it lasted, but Eastern Michigan's short run in the NCAA tournament came to an abrupt end Friday night at the Meadowlands, where the 12th-seeded Hurons were crunched by top-seeded North Carolina, 93-67, in the semifinals of the East Regional. North Carolina, making its 11th consecutive appearance in the tournament's round of 16 but trying to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1982, blew open a close game midway through the second half.

This just in: Serious muscle was flexed over opening weekend. The playing field was no place for the timid, meek, weak, or sons and daughters of Ann Arbor. "Obviously, we didn't play Michigan football," Michigan Coach Brady Hoke said after Saturday night's 41-14 loss to Alabama in Arlington, Texas. Hoke's team didn't even play Eastern Michigan football. It was "Big Boys Night Out" all over the landscape as the early season took its first stab at separating fact from fraud.

Eastern Michigan Coach Rick Rasnick, 20-34 in five seasons, has been fired. Rasnick, 40, was in the final year of a five-year contract. The Eagles are 4-6 this season with one game remaining. Defensive coordinator Tony Lombardi will direct the team Saturday against Northern Illinois.

Break out the chips and cold drinks, but let Chris Dufresne handle the remote. Each Friday, the Times' national college football writer handicaps what's worth watching, and skipping, on Saturday's menu of games: MORNING San Diego State (3-0) at No. 22 Michigan (3-0) 9 a.m., Big Ten Network Eggs-over-easy upset special — on wheat or rye toast. Former Aztecs and NFL loony Kyle Turley said he hopes Brady Hoke "eats crow'" for leaving San Diego State to become coach at Michigan.

Fullerton College quarterback Jeff Crooks will continue his football career at Eastern Michigan. Crooks, who earned All-Mission Conference honors this season as a sophomore, was expected to sign Friday with the Eagles, who play in the Mid-American Conference. Crooks, who played at Cypress High, broke a 45-year-old school record for total offense this season with 2,343 yards, including 504 yards rushing. He passed for 18 touchdowns and rushed for three for the 4-6 Hornets.

Eastern Michigan has hired Ron English, making him the fifth black head football coach in major-college football, a person familiar with the contract agreement told the Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the school hasn't announced its decision. Eastern Michigan scheduled a news conference for today.

So what if college officials have rejected proposals for a Bottom Ten Bowl game that would be played in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.? Just Saturday, two winless non-powers collided in a matchup that was almost as good, or bad. The result, based on accounts from the few fans who admitted attending, was a well-earned 27-29 loss for No. 1 Eastern Michigan (0-7) against No. 9 Ball State (1-7). And there's more to come: No. 2 Western Kentucky (0-7) stumbles into No. 6 North Texas (1-6)

Eastern Michigan has the tough task of ending a string of one-sided losses by Mid-American Conference football teams in the California Bowl when the Hurons play San Jose State today (ESPN, 1:30 p.m.). Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. teams have rolled up 118 points while winning the last three games and have limited their MAC opponents to just 27 points. That was in sharp contrast to the first two games in 1981 and 1982 at Fresno State's Bulldog Stadium.

All of Eastern Michigan's fumbles, errant passes and missed tackles won't mean a thing if the EMUs fail to goof up one more time. They need a clutch loss against No. 7 Akron (2-9) on Saturday to win the Bottom Ten title. That's because they're being pressed by the No. 2 Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky (0-10), owners of an 18-game losing streak, longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Of course, even Western Kentucky will be hard-pressed to record another defeat Saturday since it's matched against No. 13 Florida Atlantic (3-7)

It was showdown day and when it was all over New Mexico (0-6) and Western Kentucky (0-5) proved they had what it didn't take. The Lost Lobos and wacky WKU kept their winless streaks intact with clutch defeats to New Mexico State (1-4) and Florida International (1-4). The latter two were suspended from the Bottom Ten for at least one week for notching victories. Also suspended was Brigham Young (2-4), which defeated San Diego State and thus forfeited a chance to be a Crummy Game of the Weak honoree against Texas Christian (6-0)

Ahead 22-7 in the fourth quarter, the funny little Zips of Akron reverted to form for a while. They gave up a late touchdown to Buffalo, then saw the Bulls recover an on-side kick and march to the Akron 17. But Buffalo lost a fumble and the game, 14-22. And Akron (1-11), by winning, lost its bid for the Bottom Ten title. Is there anything sadder than a last-game victory to mar a perfect season? Instead, the chumpionship went to vanishing Buffalo (2-10), which had previously pulled off crucial late-season defeats to Fum-Ball State (4-8)

One stumbling block stands between the University at Buffalo (2-9) and immortality. And "stumbling" is the correct word when you're talking about Buffalo. The Bulls rallied to fall, 17-21, to former Bottom Ten contender Eastern Michigan (2-9) last weekend and could capture the title with a timely loss to the funny little Zips of Akron (0-11). While purists might opine that Buffalo's two victories should eliminate it from contention, don't forget that Louisiana State's 2007 team won the BCS championship with two blemishes on its record.

It took a long time, but Akron (0-10) is finally alone on the bottom. The Zips' loss to Beach Ball State (3-7) left them as the nation's only winless major-college team. The Lost Lobos of New Mexico (1-8) suffered a crippling blow in the Bottom Ten race by scoring a stunning upset over the Wyoming Cowboys (2-8), a farm team of the Dallas Cowboys (1-7). Though the Zips don't play until Nov. 17, they seem to have the reverse momentum needed to fall to Miami (Ohio) (6-4)

The schedule-maker is really putting the pressure on Bottom Ten colleagues Akron (0-9) and New Mexico (0-8). How can the Zips and the Lost Lobos be expected to keep losing if they're thrown such easy opponents every week? Akron's winless streak will be threatened next by Beach Ball State (2-7), a team that can lose on any given Saturday. Meanwhile, New Mexico gets benevolent Wyoming (2-7), whose defense surrenders 32 points per game. Akron and New Mexico are going to need to come up with some timely misplays, because other Bottom Ten powers are demanding recognition.

It was showdown day and when it was all over New Mexico (0-6) and Western Kentucky (0-5) proved they had what it didn't take. The Lost Lobos and wacky WKU kept their winless streaks intact with clutch defeats to New Mexico State (1-4) and Florida International (1-4). The latter two were suspended from the Bottom Ten for at least one week for notching victories. Also suspended was Brigham Young (2-4), which defeated San Diego State and thus forfeited a chance to be a Crummy Game of the Weak honoree against Texas Christian (6-0)

Unbuckling the mailbag: Question: Will your love affair with USC ever end? I'm in love with the school from the right side of the tracks, so it's very difficult to read the L.A..Times sports section when all you write about is "them. " Dorie Iwata Answer: Wow. It's been that obvious, huh? Alas, my Trojan tryst has been exposed. What was the giveaway? Saying USC couldn't win the title last year by starting a true freshman at quarterback? Suggesting the Trojans couldn't win this year by starting a true freshman at athletic director (Pat Haden)

North Carolina rolled into the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament Sunday for the 11th year in a row, defeating Villanova, 84-69, in a second-round game before 17,523 in the Carrier Dome. Only UCLA, which never failed to reach the regional semifinals in 14 seasons between 1966 and 1981, made more consecutive appearances in the round of 16 than the Tar Heels, who are the top-seeded team in the East Regional and seem to be peaking as they head to East Rutherford, N.J.

With their point-a-minute defense leading the way, New Mexico's Lost Lobos took over the Bottom Ten lead. The Lobos, edged 14-56 by Utah, have allowed 180 points in three games. However, they face a threat to the top spot Saturday when they play equally inept Nevada Las Vegas (0-3), ranked No. 6. It's a must-lose game for both teams. No. 7 North Carolina, which had 12 players sit out a 24-30 loss to Georgia Tech because of an NCAA investigation, announced it's switching to six-man football.