Shanoff's WUC: VY, Meyer, Mauer, Pujols

Today's Calls: Vince Young vs. Manning and Brees, Urban Meyer vs. Notre Dame, Joe Mauer vs. Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera vs. Ben Zobrist, Tennessee vs. Purdue, Chris Bosh vs. Summer 2010, Rex Ryan vs. Eric Mangini and More.

If Charlies Weis is as good as gone, who is the next coach at Notre Dame?

In 2010, it won't be Urban Meyer. Meyer made that clear enough yesterday -- repeating a theme he has echoed throughout the past three years of South Bend turmoil under Weis.

Now, don't give up hope, Notre Dame fans. First, you can finally give up on Meyer in 2010 and direct your attention at the perfect coach for ND's current situation: Cincinatti's Brian Kelly.

But more interestingly, I don't think you should write off Urban Meyer as NEVER coming to Notre Dame.

As the country's leading Tebologist, it was with great interest that I noted Tebow's quote yesterday, when asked about Urban Meyer going to ND next week: "I don't think he'll be at Notre Dame. I don't think that's anything he'll do now."

Now. Here is a plausible scenario: When Meyer's contract runs out in 6 years (and 3-4 more national titles), he will have done everything he can in college. That's when Patriots owner Bob Kraft -- a huge Meyer admirer -- will hand-pick him to replace a retiring Bill Belichick, who will move into a Parcells-like operations role. Belichick and Meyer are close friends; the relationship would be easy.

After another 7-10 years in the NFL coaching the Patriots, Urban Meyer will feel the urge to return to college football for one more challenge: Coaching Notre Dame. The Irish will make Meyer the highest-paid coach in the country, and Meyer will finish his coaching career with a decade in South Bend.

And so Notre Dame fans: If you really want Urban Meyer, all you have to do is wait 15 years.

MNF: VY keeps Titans rolling. Vince Young is 4-0 and a starter. More remarkably, his eight straight wins as a starter puts him 3rd in the league, behind Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. (Really.) With every win (and there could be 5 more over the final six games), Jeff Fisher looks that much dumber for having obstinately ignored Young through 0-6.

Notre Dame: Adding injury to insult, Jimmy Clausen was reportedly sucker-punched at a restaurant on Saturday night by an angry fan. ND fans have every right to feel frustrated, but that kind of behavior is ridiculous. And Clausen was hardly the problem.

Rex Ryan talks a wee bit too much: He feels "disrespected" by that late Brady-to-Moss pass in a Pats blowout win over the Jets? Ryan should worry more about the fact that his team is headed for an early exit to the season.

More sour grapes: Eric Mangini claiming the Lions faked injuries to slow down that vaunted Browns offense. Appropriately, Jim Schwartz effectively tells Mangini where he can cram it.

Thanksgiving NFL Look-Ahead: It's a shame that Matt Stafford will most likely not be able to play in the Lions' traditional T'giving Day game, against the Packers. That team deserved its best foot forward on its annual biggest game of the year. (Hey, at least the team avoided a local TV blackout of the game.)

MLB Award Season: Joe Mauer, indeed, won the AL MVP -- taking 27 of 28 1st-place votes. (Who didn't vote for him? A reporter from Japan, who gave his 1st-place vote to Miguel Cabrera. Hmm: Must have been for the way Miggy led his Tigers over Mauers' Twins and into the play-- oops.)

To the Yankees fans disappointed that Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter didn't win AL MVP? Don't worry: Joe Mauer will be winning AL MVPs for the Yankees soon enough. Put far more succinctly: "Joe Mauer to the Yankees in 2010" is the new "LeBron James to the Knicks in 2010."

(By the way: Don't get too triumphalist about the way that increased sophistication advanced stats have played a role in the awards season this year. As Dan Levy points out, the fact that Ben Zobrist finished eighth -- all but ignored on ballots -- shows that voters still have a LONG way to go.)

Today: NL MVP, and I think it's a pretty safe bet it will be Albert Pujols.

NBA Talking Points

• Jennings Watch: 12 pts (6/21 FG) in L

• Oden solid: Career-high 24 pts in W

• Nets are worst, but T'wolves close.

2010 Watch: Chris Bosh is definitely leaving the Raptors, and here's my pop psychology why: Bosh deeply resents that he is virtually anonymous playing in Canada, while other NBA stars have blown up playing in the States.

Bosh WANTS, desperately, to be a well-recognized star, and that will only happen if he is playing in New York, or alongside LeBron or Wade. LeBron and Wade may stay with their current teams; Bosh will join them -- or grab the limelight for himself in NYC. And if the Knicks accept that LeBron and Wade aren't coming to them, they should focus on Bosh, playing to his interest in being a star.

CBB Mania: Tennessee and Purdue would be smart to file away their terrific game last night (a one-point Purdue win) for muscle memory in March. ... After getting thoroughly thumped by Syracuse on Friday night, nothing cures what ails UNC like a game against Gardner-Webb.

(I shouldn't mock G-W: Two years ago, they beat Kentucky, in one of the great moments of college hoops schadenfreude of the decade. But, hey: If not for that humiliating loss, Kentucky might not have gotten rid of Billy Gillispie -- and gotten Cal, Wall and Co.)

AP Hoops Poll: Syracuse jumps to No. 10. Apparently, basketball pollsters haven't heard of this "resume voting" thing that their football counterparts finally started to embrace this season. Who proved more last week than Syracuse? Yet they are 10th, simply because the foolish pollsters had them unranked to start the season.

CBB Must-Read: Chris Littman on "Feast Week" and the potential for some terrific matchups.

The Last Word: "I mismanaged the back end of the Ole Miss game. I'm responsible. I'm the head coach." -- Les Miles, (finally) taking responsibility for LSU's brain-freeze that likely cost them the win at Ole Miss on Saturday.

Dan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/danshanoff.

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