Jim Tressel has had better teams during his time in Columbus.

He's had better talent.

He's had bigger wins.

But I'll say this much: Tressel has never turned in a better coaching performance than he did in 2009.

In a year when Ohio State simply did not have the same kind of talent that it's had in the past, in a year when many had Penn State pegged as the best team in the Big Ten, and in a year when he and his team (most notably, his quarterback) faced more criticism than they had ever faced before, Tressel persevered.

When the critics pounced--and believe me, after that mid-season loss to Purdue, they pounced hard--Tressel remained calm. He stayed the course. He kept on coaching the way he's always coached.

And when all was said and done, Tressel had won yet another Big Ten championship.

That championship was locked up with another win over Michigan--the Buckeyes' sixth straight in the series. The 21-10 triumph wasn't the prettiest win, folks. But it was a win nonetheless--a win that not only proved the Buckeyes to be, once more, the best team in the Big Ten, but also Tressel to be the league's most consistent, unflappable and, well, flat-out best coach.

Here are my other thoughts on college football's Week 11:

Let's stop with the throwback uniforms already. Please. Ohio State's "throwbacks" on Saturday were allegedly worn as an homage to the 1954 Buckeyes. Just one problem: The duds the Bucks wore up there in Ann Arbor on Saturday looked nothing like the unis the '54 team wore. Ohio State sported those "throwbacks" for one reason and one reason only: Money. Nike offered Ohio State a deal. Ohio State took the deal. And I respect them a lot less today for doing so. A word of advice to the college football world: Your uniforms are your uniforms. Wear them proudly. And don't change them in honor of the almighty dollar.

The SEC is more overrated this year than it's ever been. Let's review very quickly: Georgia is unranked, sitting at 6-5, and just lost at home to Kentucky. Tennessee is unranked, sitting at 6-5, and lost at home to a bad UCLA squad. Auburn is also unranked, sitting at 7-4, and has losses to Arkansas, Kentucky and Georgia. Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn. Those are three traditional SEC powers, folks, and none of them are any good. The reality of the SEC in 2009 is this. There is 'Bama. There is Florida. And then there's a whole bunch of teams that might be charitably called ... OK. And, yes, I'm throwing LSU into that bunch, too. The Tigers haven't beaten anyone of note all season (am I supposed to be impressed by that win at Washington?) and on Saturday lost to a remarkably unimpressive Ole Miss squad. Sorry, SEC, I'm not impressed. The league has been great in recent years. This year, it's not. I wonder if the folks at ESPN will have the guts to admit this. Speaking of ESPN ...

ESPN analyst Todd McShay, who rarely has a kind word to say about anyone in the Big Ten, criticized the wrong guy on Saturday morning. On a Saturday morning edition of Sportscenter, McShay predicted Michigan State would upset Penn State--because, in McShay's words, Nittany Lions' quarterback Daryll Clark is "an interception machine" in "big" games. Seeing as the Nits needed a win against Sparty to shore up their BCS resume, yesterday's matchup in East Lansing qualified as a "big" one. Clark's response? A 310-yard, four-touchdown passing performance in Penn State's 42-14 win. Clark did not throw an interception. Asked afterward about McShay's comments, Clark said: "I get a lot of criticism from a lot of different people. But I don't play for them. I don't go out and try to make plays to try to impress those analysts out there." Clark leaves Penn State as the all-time record holder in single-season touchdown passes (23), career touchdowns passes (42) and single-season yardage (2,787). Not bad for a guy who is an "interception machine."

I hate speculating about other people's jobs. I mean, I hate it. That being said ... Notre Dame's double-overtime loss yesterday to UConn? Well, that's not going to fly in South Bend. Simply put, the writing is on the wall at Notre Dame. Weis has done a lot of good in his tenure there. His players have acted with class. They've done well in the classroom. And they've represented their institution well. Unfortunately, they have not won enough football games. The Irish are 6-5. They're starting down 6-6. And that's just not good enough. Not at Notre Dame.

Photo: Ohio State was too big, too strong and too fast for Michigan. Unfortunately, their victory was marred by those terrible "throwback" uniforms. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

We start this week's picks with some sad news, folks.

Terrible news, actually.

UGA VII, the beloved bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia, died suddenly on Thursday. He was just 4 years old and was in the midst of his second season prowling the Georgia sidelines.

Swann Seiler, the daughter of  longtime Uga owners Sonny and Cecelia Seiler, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that her family was "devastated" by the news. Added Georgia coach Mark Richt: "You never think something like that could happen that quickly but it certainly did. It's sad we won't have him on the sideline anymore."

Uga VII made his debut in the 2008 season opener against Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs went a mediocre 16-7 during his reign.

The Seiler family says Georgia will have to play this week's game against Kentucky without a Bulldog on the sidelines, though they expect to have a replacement dog ready for the team's season-ending showdown against Georgia Tech. A search for Uga VIII will begin as soon as possible.

It's a sad day, indeed. So we'd like to dedicate this week's picks to the memory of Uga VII--a good mascot, and by all accounts, a great dog, too.

Kentucky at Georgia: The Bulldogs are trying to play themselves into a decent bowl game after a rough season. They'll also be playing in honor of Uga. There's no way the 'Dawgs lose this one. Georgia 27, Kentucky 24

No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan: Earlier this week I offered you five reasons why Michigan can beat Ohio State. Some of you think I'm crazy. And maybe I am. But here's the thing, folks: As well as Ohio State has been playing of late, this is still the same team that lost to Purdue. And as poorly as Michigan has been playing of late, this is still the same team that started the season 5-2. Michigan is not nearly as bad as their record would indicate. They'll prove it on Saturday. On the 40^th anniversary of Bo Schembechler's signature win, Rich Rodriguez gets his signature win. Michigan 24, Ohio State 12

Minnesota at No. 13 Iowa: Iowa needs a win to keep its BCS bowl hopes alive. They'll get it, too, thanks in large part to their front four--the best front four in the Big Ten, and possibly the best in the entire country. The Hawkeyes take home Floyd of Rosedale and earn a trip to the Fiesta Bowl. Iowa 21, Minnesota 10

No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford: Stanford is flying high. Big win over Oregon. Huge win over USC. Jim Harbaugh is the hottest name in the coaching world. Toby Gerhart is getting Heisman props. The Rose Bowl is there for the taking. I mean, the Cardinal are playing so well that people in Palo Alto are actually showing some interest in football. It's amazing stuff, folks. Unfortunately it will all come to an end on Saturday. Cal finally plays up to their potential and ruins Stanford's dream season. Cal 34, Stanford 21

Photo: Uga VII passed away on Thursday. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. But I'm going to say it anyway, folks, because I actually believe it.

Michigan can beat Ohio State this week.

I'm not saying I expect Michigan to win. I'm not saying that I'm going to pick Michigan to win (though you'll have to check in on Friday to see if I do). I'm just saying that Michigan is capable of winning.

In fact, I think they're very capable of winning. And I'll give you five reasons why.

Ohio State has already played its two biggest games of the year. This one is an afterthought. All due respect to the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, which is clearly among the greatest rivalries in sports history, but the Wolverines' fall from grace in the last two seasons has really taken some of the drama out of this series. Sure, this one means everything to Michigan (more on this in just a bit), but what does it actually mean to Ohio State? What can it possibly mean to Ohio State? Two weeks back, the Buckeyes knocked off Penn State (their new most-hated rival) to seize control of the Big Ten race. Then, last week, they held off Iowa to lock up the Big Ten Championship. Did you see that celebration last week in Columbus, folks? They stormed the field. They broke out the roses. They were thinking about Pasadena. They were not thinking about Michigan.

Rich Rodriguez is coaching to save his job. Though I do find it unlikely that Michigan would fire Rodriguez after just two seasons, there's no question the guy could use a win. You know, just to be safe. Michigan has not been much better in Year 2 of RichRod's tenure than they were in Year 1, and so you have to figure that even the Rodriguez supporters (those that remain, at least) are beginning to question whether this guy is the right fit for Big Blue. The ongoing drama with that NCAA investigation certainly doesn't help matters, either. Rodriguez might not need a win to earn a third year in Ann Arbor, but he certainly needs his team to competitive. He needs them to play with some passion. Some excitement. Some sense of urgency. Which is why I expect Rodriguez to literally empty the playbook. Double reverses. Fumblerooskis. Fake punts. Fake field goals. Onside kicks. Hey, there was a time, folks, when Rodriguez was known as one of the most innovative coaches in the game. He's got some great 'ball plays somewhere. I expect he'll dig them up this week. And use them.

This game means absolutely everything to Michigan--especially the Michigan seniors. Suffice to say, these Wolverine seniors have been through a lot. The great triumphs and, ultimately, the bitter end of 2006. The trials and tribulations of 2007 (Appy State, anyone?). The messy transition from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez. The utter disaster of 2008. The ups and downs of 2009. These kids saw many of their teammates pack up and leave, and yet they remain. They remain because they're true believers. They're Michigan blue, through and through. And trust me, they know there is just one way--one way--to erase all of the horrible memories of the past four years. Beat Ohio State.

Devin Barclay is still a backup kicker and Terrelle Pryor is still a work in progress. Kudos to Barclay, who has performed admirably the past two weeks while filling in for injured Buckeye starter Aaron Pettrey. I mean, he nailed the game-winner last week. Impressive. But has he really been tested? Really? I'm not so sure. As for Pryor, well, let's give credit where credit is due: He's done what he's needed to do to win the two biggest games of the season, not to mention the Big Ten title. But let's not kid ourselves. He's still prone to mistakes. Is it really all that crazy to think another Purdue-like performance is possible?

This week's Ohio State-Michigan game will mark the 40^th anniversary of the very Ohio State-Michigan game that put the Ohio State-Michigan game back on the map. When the 8-0 Ohio State Buckeyes traveled up north to take on the 7-2 Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 22, 1969, there wasn't a soul outside of Ann Arbor who gave Michigan a chance of even staying within two touchdowns of the Buckeyes. I mean, that Ohio State team hadn't trailed all year. They had Rex Kern at quarterback. Jim Otis at running back. Jack Tatum at safety. They were, in the opinion of many, the finest Ohio State team ever assembled. And so when they took the field at Michigan Stadium that sunny Saturday, the Buckeyes fully expected to crush those lowly Wolverines--a team they had embarrassed the previous year, 50-14. But that's not what happened. Not at all. Instead, a new Michigan coach who was viewed as an outsider (sound familiar?) somehow convinced his Wolverines that they could play with those Buckeyes. He reminded them of that 50-14 embarrassment the year before in Columbus (note: Ohio State beat Michigan 42-7 last year at Ohio Stadium). He came with up the most perfect game plan he'd ever create. And when all was said and done, Bo Schembechler--a guy who did not exactly enjoy the easiest transition into his role at Michigan's head coach (sound familiar?)--walked off the field with a 24-12 win. It was one of the biggest victories in the history of Michigan football--and the defining moment of Schembechler's career. Just like that, when everyone least expected it, a rivalry was reborn.

Photo: Tate Forcier and Michigan have a chance--a legitimate chance--of upsetting Ohio State this week. (Domenic Centofanti/Getty Images)

Stanford finally proved to the world what I've been saying now for weeks: USC is not that good.

Somehow, the Trojans escaped criticism when they lost to a bad Washington team. They got a pass when they got crushed (and I mean, crushed) by Oregon. Heck, nobody even seemed to care that this team struggled to beat Arizona State.

In the eyes of the voters, USC could simply do no wrong. Which is why the Trojans found themselves (unjustifiably) ranked in the Top 10 heading into this week's showdown against Stanford.

Well, this is a problem no longer.

Because after the Cardinal absolutely undressed the Trojans yesterday in Los Angeles, not even the least perceptive of voters (and believe, there are many non-perceptive voters out there, folks) could reasonably consider the Trojans to be a Top 20-quality team.

That porous USC defense (you know, the unit that gave up 600-plus yards against Oregon) got absolutely run over by Toby Gerhart and the Stanford offense, which racked up 24 first downs and 469 total yards on the day. Meanwhile, USC quarterback Matt Barkley had a true "freshman" day--he threw for only 196 yards and was picked off three times--as the Trojans went down big, 55-21.

A Top 10 team?

Yeah, not so much, folks. Not so much.

Here are my other thoughts on college football's Week 11.

TCU might be the best team in the country. And, yes, I'm serious. Saturday night in Forth Worth, the Horned Frogs absolutely dominated a good Utah squad, racking up 549 yards en route to a 55-28 win. Now sitting 10-0 with easily winnable games remaining against Wyoming and New Mexico, it appears quite likely that TCU will finish the season a perfect 12-0. If that happens, the Frogs will have not only beaten Utah (a quality win, without question), but will have also beaten Clemson at Clemson, BYU at BYU and Air Force at Air Force. The more I see the Frogs play, the more I'm convinced that they are capable of beating anyone in the country. Yes, anyone. Texas, Florida, Alabama--they'd all have their hands full with the Frogs. I just hope we get a chance to see TCU prove me right.

Maybe Pitt won't collapse, after all. I keep waiting for Dave Wannstedt's team to blow it. To implode. To deliver that typical Pitt bonehead moment. I keep thinking that disaster is right around the corner. And yet the Panthers just keep on winning--and proving the doubters (including Yours Truly) wrong. On Saturday night in Pittsburgh, on one of the biggest stages the Pitt program had seen in years, the Panthers delivered in a big way, knocking off Notre Dame, 27-22, in a game that wasn't really as close as the score might indicate. Freshman sensation Dion Lewis rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Bill Stull threw for 236 and another score as the Panther offense outgunned Jimmy Clausen and the Irish in front of an impressive home crowd. The Panthers are playing with a sense of confidence I haven't seen in them since their glory days of the early 1980s. This team is legitimately good, folks. And they've got a great shot--I mean, a great shot--of walking off with the Big East title. Cincinnati is good, no doubt. But Pitt is playing as well as anyone in the country right now. Except maybe TCU, of course.

Photo: Richard Sherman and Stanford were too fast (and too good) for USC. (Harry How/Getty Images)