A few years ago I was crashing with some buddies, when after a long night out, we woke up on New Year’s Day, and couldn’t find our friend Jerry anywhere. What was especially weird was that he’d gone to bed in my friend’s apartment just a few hours before.

We spent the rest of the day looking all over for him. Calling his cell phone. Calling friends. Nothing. Luckily, just as we were literally getting ready to call the police, Jerry called us, lost, from a pay phone. Where he found a pay phone in the middle of Connecticut in 2007 is beyond me. But eventually we tracked him down, picked him up, and never let him live down that night again.

I was convinced that for the rest of time, Jerry would go down as having the worst New Year’s ever. Then the Big Ten happened yesterday. Five games. Five losses. Two that made us change the way we feel about the entire state of Michigan, plus Gordon Gee’s “Sisters of the Poor” TCU team beating Wisconsin. Now the only thing left to save the credibility of the “Leaders” and “Legends” is Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State. Not good.

Still, despite most of yesterday’s games being over before halftime, it only felt right that I do a Sunday recap column. I did one every Sunday all year, and even a few beatdowns and some more “Rich Rodriguez must go” talk wasn’t going to keep from doing another one.

So enjoy. Unless you’re a Big Ten fan, in which case, have a cold one, and pray that for Christmas Pryor was given the gift of being able to read a cover-two defense.

Now let’s get to the recap.

(Because of length, this is just PART of the weekend recap. To read the remainder including thoughts on the Rose Bowl, Capital One and much more, please click here or visit www.aarontorres-sports.com) 

Fiesta Bowl: Really, there isn’t a whole lot of analysis to put into this game. Oklahoma was the better team, and played like it just enough to win this game. Saturday wasn’t their best performance or their worst, just a nice happy medium. For those who didn’t watch this game, Oklahoma reminded me of someone who buys a brand new sports car, but gets nervous the first time behind the wheel and doesn’t take it over 40 mph. The Sooners never kicked it into fifth gear Saturday night, but honestly, they didn’t really need to.

With that said, here are a couple more thoughts:

Looking at how they closed out this year, anyone who wants to make Oklahoma their preseason No. 1 heading into 2011 will get no objection from me. Landry Jones seems to get better every game (last night he became the first person in college football history to have a “quiet” 400-yard passing game), the young skill position guys are studs (and Roy Finch didn’t even play), and the defense was reckless to the ball. Let me put it to you this way, if Ryan Broyles comes back next year, I don’t know how Oklahoma cannot be No. 1.

As for UConn, well I’ve got to admit that after one offensive series, I almost turned the game off. When you’ve got six weeks to prepare for a team that you know wants to throw the ball 50 times, and then come out with a defensive game-plan loosely described as “let’s put no pressure on the quarterback, and give the receivers a 15-yard cushion”, that makes AT a pretty angry guy. Truthfully, I’m just thankful that Connecticut has a 10-day wait to get a gun permit. Otherwise I might have been in the midst of an 11-state killing spree by halftime.

But after that first series, I’ve got to admit, it wasn’t all that bad. To me, it felt like the way I do after going to the dentist: you know it won’t be fun, but you always end up leaving thinking, “You know, that could’ve been a lot worse.”

To UConn and Randy Edsall’s credit, the team played hard for four quarters, and athletically, this game wasn’t as much of a mismatch as I’d expected. Granted, with a few bounces Oklahoma could’ve won by a much bigger margin. But with a few breaks and conversions the other way, UConn could’ve made things a lot closer too.

Most importantly, on a day when both Michigan and Michigan State embarrassed themselves and their conference, I didn’t feel like UConn did that. They just lost to a better team.

I don’t usually give Randy Edsall credit, but I thought after the first series, he handled his team pretty well.

Gator Bowl: Much like the Rose Bowl, we need to start the Gator Bowl discussion by talking about Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were faster, stronger, more disciplined and better coached Saturday, and the scarier thing is that they bring back a ton of key talent in 2011. Just go ahead and put Mississippi State in your preseason Top 15 for next year, because that’s where they’ll be starting.

But to talk solely about the Bulldogs would be burying the lead here. Because for the 497th time this year, it’s time to discuss Rich Rodriguez’s future at Michigan (I guess there goes my first New Year's resolution of 2011). 

Before we do that though, I want to give Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon the “2010 Coward of the Year Award.” Look, I know what the reasons were behind him holding off on an announcement on Rodriguez's future (buyout money and playing coy with Jim Harbaugh). And honestly, I don’t care. You just don’t string people along the way Brandon did over these last six weeks with Rich Rod. It’s not fair to Rodriguez, his staff, the players or fans. If Brandon knew six weeks ago that Rodriguez wasn’t his guy, he should’ve manned up, grabbed his balls and done something then. Making Rich Rod flail in the wind like this is just cruel and unusual punishment.

With all that said… I think Rich Rod needs to go.

Look, obviously this decision shouldn’t be based on yesterday alone. But still, if you’re Rodriguez, and you know your job is on the line, you need to have a better showing than what we saw Saturday. Even if you’re outmanned and you know you might not win, I don’t care, you’ve got try and do something. Run a few trick plays. Put your entire defense on steroids a month before the game. Kidnap Dan Mullen the night before kickoff. Again, I don’t care. But what happened yesterday was a travesty to end all travesties. Forget Bo Schembechler rolling over in his grave, I’m pretty sure my dead grandpa did the same. And he didn’t even like football.

The worst part is it’s one thing to be bad, but it’s another thing to spend six weeks preparing for a game, and show no progression at all. The defense was as bad as ever yesterday. Denard Robinson may be a worse passer on January 1 than he was on September 1. And the kicking game, my God. I’ll pay for a scholarship out of my own pocket just to never again have to see a display like the one we saw this year.

The Gator Bowl was 100 levels of hideous, and I hope Brandon goes ahead and puts Rodriguez out of his misery. Actually, truth be told, I wish he’d done it six weeks ago.

(Because of length, this is just PART of the Bowl Game recap. To read the remainder, including thoughts on TCU's incredible win, and Alabama's dominance, please click here or visit www.aarontorres-sports.com.

Also, for updates on all his articles, podcasts and giveaways, be sure to follow Aaron on http://twitter.com/Aaron_Torres)