OUT-OF-CONTROL COACHES FLAUNT DOUBLE STANDARD.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF College Football

Whenever a college football player breaks a team rule or does something inappropriate, his coach stands piously in front of the microphone and demands an apology, extracting promises of reform before bringing the player back to the team.

But there's rarely a time when a coach receives similar scrutiny, unless he flagrantly violates NCAA rules.

In the past week two coaches lost their cool - with absolutely no repercussions. And it shows why coaches feel they rule their fiefdoms with absolute power.

Miami coach Butch Davis unleashed an overhand right into a blackboard during an expletive-laced halftime tirade at last week's Rutgers game, which Miami won 53-17. The blackboard sported the tell-tale sign of confrontation after the game - a fist-sized hole in its upper left-hand corner.

Perhaps Davis just got caught up in the heat of the moment. But listen to the Miami players' response to the incident.

``It kind of scared me,'' senior defensive tackle Michael Lawson said.

``He really showed us the other side of him,'' added receiver Santana Moss, who had three touchdown receptions.

It will be difficult for Davis to lecture his players about decorum and dignity after failing to display those qualities.

Then we have Ohio State, which seems to come up with some form of anti-social behavior on a weekly basis.

Quarterback coach Tim Salem needed six stitches to close a cut on his right wrist and two more on his right middle finger after punching his hand through a quarter-inch plate glass window in the press box when the Buckeyes scored a second-quarter touchdown against Penn State.

``That was pure reaction,'' Salem said. ``It was a big-time game. It's college football. How could you not get excited?''

Excited is one thing; out of control is another.

Shards of glass hit eight people sitting below the coaches box. One woman had to have a sliver of glass removed from her foot. Two people found glass in their hair and inside their clothes. Six others had to be moved from their seats for the second half as a precaution because Ohio State officials feared the window might collapse.

Salem's response?

``That's what you're asking me?'' he said. ``I'm going to start off by saying that for every person who asks me about this glass-punching incident, I'm going to make sure the next three games you're sitting in front of our damn booth, so if you've got a question, just be prepared to sit in front of us for the next three games.

``Any time you spend as much time as we do and you get into a game like that, there was a lot of enthusiasm and (I was) pumped up because we had scored a touchdown. That's what I think college football is all about. I guess if I had to do it every Saturday to keep winning games, I would do it.''

Fall from grace: How far have Clemson and North Carolina fallen? Just look at some numbers for their game on Saturday. Through three quarters, Clemson had completed just one pass for 12 yards. The team ran 36 times for 87 yards and was winning 14-7.

But North Carolina, the erstwhile Tailback U., rushed for 45 yards - and won. The Tar Heels will take the 21-14 victory, however. It was their first of the season.

Meanwhile, Clemson has lost four in a row for the first time since 1975, and coach Tommy West's job security is in question.

Number switch: Chalk up another (unofficial) record for Ricky Williams - most uniform numbers in a career.

Williams received the OK this week to wear No. 37 to honor Doak Walker when the Longhorns play Oklahoma on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl. Williams, who wore No. 11 his first three seasons, will return to wearing No. 34 after the game with the Sooners.

``I think this will be great,'' Williams said. ``I'm wearing it because we're playing in the Cotton Bowl. I thought it would be neat to wear (No.) 37 in the house that Doak built. I'm playing with him in my heart. It's a special thing that I can do.''

Texas officials had to clear the number change with the NCAA, the Big 12 Conference and Oklahoma.

``We had to make sure everyone knows about it so nobody would think we're trying to trick anyone,'' Williams said.

Williams became friends with Walker, the former SMU Heisman Trophy winner, last winter when Williams won the running back award named for Walker. When Walker died Sept. 27, Williams said he was dedicating the rest of his season to Walker's memory.

Who's the commish? The WAC's departing eight schools are expected to make some major decisions within the next three weeks, beginning with calling themselves the Mountain West Conference.

In the ensuing weeks, the transition teams will choose a commissioner from among these finalists: former UNLV assistant athletic director and Orange Bowl committee member Keith Tribble; Big Ten assistant commissioner Kevin Weiberg; Sun Belt commissioner Craig Thompson; Wright Waters, a marketing director at Alabama, and former Cal athletic director Dave Maggard, a member of the NHL's expansion franchise in Atlanta.

The Big 12 is expected to announce its new commissioner this week; an announcement could come today or Friday. The candidates are: Ohio Valley commissioner Dan Beebe, Conference-USA commish Mike Slive, Sun Belt commish Craig Thompson and Big Ten deputy commish Kevin Wieberg.

FOOTNOTES By Scott Wolf

THE TOP 10

1. Ohio State (4-0): It's the Buckeyes' national championship to lose at this point.

2. Nebraska (5-0): Escape from Okie State means must win big against K-State.

3. Florida State (4-1): Seminoles going for fourth straight victory over Miami.

4. Kansas State (4-0): Hey, Wildcats play Colorado. This must be their real season opener.

5. Tennessee (4-0): Is loss of Jamal Lewis more costly than loss of Peyton Manning?

6. UCLA (3-0): Weather report has Hurricane Georges heading toward Arizona border.

7. Florida (4-1): Spurrier decides to axe two-QB system. Is Paul Hackett listening?

8. Georgia (4-0): Bulldogs proved mettle with narrow victory over LSU.

9. Virginia (5-0): Cavs taking week off to figure out who is for real in ACC.

10. LSU (3-1): Tigers proved doubters right with narrow loss to Georgia.

Five more to watch: Colorado (5-0), Wisconsin (5-0), Oregon (4-0), Arizona (5-0), Virginia Tech (4-0).

THE LIST

Texas running back Ricky Williams is averaging 217 yards a game rushing, the best in Division I-A. Here's a look at how the Longhorns' five opponents thus far rank in rushing defense and how Williams fared against those teams:

Team Yards Opp. Avg. Ranking

New Mexico State 179 215 80

UCLA 141160 53

Kansas State 74 43 6

Rice 318 237 103

Iowa State 350 184 82

SAY WHAT?

``When you shut 'em out you have a whole lot better chance of winning.''

- Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris, on last week's 37-0 victory against Akron.

BEST BET

No. 4 Tennessee (4-0) at No. 7 Georgia (4-0)

Does anyone doubt that the Vols have the nation's toughest schedule? They have already won at Syracuse and Auburn, and defeated Florida at home. Now they get to go to Athens, without leading rusher Jamal Lewis, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Good luck.

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BOX: FOOTNOTES By Scott Wolf (see text)