The smoke started to rise around me, the fans began to erupt and my job was simply to hold the 4th-ranked team in the country from storming their home turf in front of a raucous, record sell-out crowd for a few more seconds before cueing them to take the field.  Not an easy job.  But definitely one of the high points of my time here at CBS College Sports.  Being in the TCU tunnel Saturday night as the 4th ranked team in the land, lead by Coach Patterson and Jerry Hughes was either a thrill of a lifetime or just flat out CRAZY!  I had requested this role from game producer Jon Norton and his response was “Sure. You really want to do that?”  Abso-flutin’-lutely, I replied.  I had not experienced something like this in a game of this magnitude since I was 17, when I cued Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions on the field at a Pigskin Classic for ABC  Sports. Put simply: Nothing that happens in the truck or in master control can top it.  It was everything I remembered from that late August day many years ago and more.

What a way to cap off an incredible Saturday that had kicked off in Orlando at UCF, where fans were treated to a C-USA showdown between Heisman hopeful Case Keenum and his high flying Houston Cougars against a much improved UCF team we saw weeks ago fall to the Miami Hurricanes on our network.  Unfortunately for the Cougs, UCF spoiled the party with an upset to start a day of college football our network is now growing use to. Great games, big time players from sold out stadiums!

Tom Hart, our pxp announcer calling the #16 Utah at #4 TCU game Saturday night put it best when he opened the show from Fort Worth, in front of 50,000 plus screaming Horned Frog faithful dressed in purple..."This is College Football on THE CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK".  Well you got that right Tom.  Sometimes there is just no need for overly poetic words to describe a scene.

I’m telling you, I’d put our games up against anybody’s out there. Major national storylines, programs on the rise, big time coaches and shows that are entertaining, well produced, directed and always feel like the folks in the booth are having fun do it. Little secret...they are having fun.

I spent the weekend in Fort Worth at the TCU game and from the time I arrived on campus to the time I left Sunday morning there was an electricity in the air that something special was brewing in "Cow Town". The battle on the field, the new Nike Uniforms for TCU, the excitement in the stands outside the stadium all day to the focus behind the scenes from the men and women working on the pregame show and the game was outstanding.

I think the nation got a look at a team that really has arrived on so many levels. Their play on the field. The hospitality the coaching staff, SID, venue folks (especially Mark Cohen and Ross Bailey) showed us and our friends at ESPN was outstanding, to the support Fort Worth, alumni and now the media has toward to TCU is something special. It was a pleasure being there and we look forward to returning.

First Downs this week...

Big East Soccer
Outstanding work with Shep Messing and Jason Knapp showing the art of the penalty kick, timely and effective with games going to PK's.

VMI at Army
Using a new thermal infrared camera only used by the military in combat to seek out the enemy made by Flir. Effective and very cool showing a replay and having Jason Sehorn pointing out what the cold and warm parts of the body are.

Utah at TCU
The whole production. From the excellent pregame show, to the game coverage, to the halftime and post game coverage. The production, announce and technical teams nailed a big night.

Extra Points...
Keep an eye on #19 BYU hosting Air Force this Saturday Live from Provo. You just may see our first "snow game" from the season.