THE NCAA IS ON THE CLOCK.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

It's about time. Or, about shrinkage, if you're of the ``Seinfeld'' mind-set.

Unless someone actually has pointed it out, you're not likely to otherwise notice that the grand master clock watchers at the NCAA have implemented two major nip-tucks to the integrity of a college football game, all in a sublime effort to be more accommodating to the television networks that are trying to cram more and more of these things into a full day of programming.

Start with Rule 3-2-5: The game clock starts on a kickoff as soon as the ball is booted off the tee, not when the receiving team touches it.

Add in Rule 3-2-5 e: After a change of possession, the clock starts on the official's command after the ball is marked, not when the ball is snapped.

Pretty sneaky, eh?

Those who made note of it when the rules were mildly publicized a few months back quickly did the math and predicted this would cut out about a dozen plays a game. But then came an opening weekend to test out the theories.

It was more.

According to research at the Web site www.cfbstats.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2006 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Vegas bettors).

Coaches suddenly aware of the lack of snaps were snapped into burning timeouts at crucial moments, hoping to delay this new time-travel phenomenon. But the grand purpose was achieved: Contests that ran 3 1/2 hours or longer are now finishing up between 20 minutes and a full half-hour quicker.

The next coach that praises this new form of unruliness will be the first.

``I think it's a horrible rule,'' said Purdue's Joe Tiller, after his team couldn't get a snap off just before the half against Indiana State despite the fact his return man took a kickoff and got out of bounds with 13 seconds left. The officials marked the ball, started the clock, and there wasn't even time to sneeze. Purdue still won 60-35, so you'd think Tiller wouldn't be grumpy about it.

He's just a forward thinker, as are many of his theory or relativity contemporaries.

``I'm appalled at the rule changes,'' Oregon's Mike Bellotti said.

``The new clock rules are stupid,'' Texas Tech's Mike Leach said.

``I hate it,'' Northern Illinois' Joe Novak said.

``Whoever the people are that wanted games shortened, it looks like they got their wish,'' Arizona State's Dirk Koetter said.

And those folks he was referring to would be ...

``In this day and age, with all the competition out there, shorter games are good,'' said Dave Brown, ESPN's vice president of programming.

The competition he was referencing was from other networks, not the battles on the field.

Dennis Poppe, the NCAA's managing director of football, also has gone on the record as saying: ``The concern has been that the games ... were getting longer and longer each year, (and there) was a concern about an increased potential for injury because of time on the field.''

Sure. Of course. That's it. We need to keep the kids healthy, happy and more available for off-field incidents.

By the way, as the games are getting smaller-sized, the dead periods for instant replay challenges, network halftime promos, referee-grandstanding penalties and Brent Musburger hyperbole only seems to drag on. And somehow, there's the same (if not more) commercials being jammed into the broadcasts, helping to pay Lee Corso's tab at the Hometown Buffet.

Not so fast, my friend.

Unsuspecting spectators who suddenly become enlightened could actually side either way on this as the season warps toward the January bowls, depending on how important time management is in their busy daily lives. Those who tend to pass out by the third quarter because of the elongated tailgate parties and uphold the five-second food rule even when the brats fall into a puddle of mud don't even factor into this conversation.

But those immediately perturbed already have taken the time to protest.

A Web site called EveryDayShouldBeSaturday.com likens the rule to ``bad taco meat that's getting worse,'' and gives out the phone number, fax and e-mail address of Ty Halpin, the NCAA Football Rules Committee liaison in Indianapolis.

Another site popped up called WeHateTheNewClockRules.com, having already collected nearly 15,000 cybersignatures on a petition aiming to force change back to last year's rules. Its rally cry: ``As fans, we are the ones watching the games, supporting the programs, and filling the stands on Saturday, and we deserve to be heard!''

It's about time.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1) Purdue head coach Joe Tiller's opinion of the changes intended to help speed up college football games? ``I think it's a horrible rule.''

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

(2) ANDY RODDICK

(3) MARION JONES

(4) STEVE FOLEY

(5) FANTASY FOOTBALL

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Box:

(1) The Pop Quiz

(2) Sunday Punch

(3) HOT ... LUKE WARM ... COLD FISH

(4) FANTASY FOOTBALL

- Matthew Kredell