RG3 wins first Heisman Trophy for Baylor

Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The junior quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting - and that was 48 years ago.

Right before his name was called, Griffin took a deep breath. When it was announced he broke into a bright smile. Then it was hugs all around, for his coaches, his parents, his sister and his fiance.

He took a few long strides up to the stage and let out a laugh when he got there, making a joke about the Superman socks - complete with capes on the back - he was wearing before going into his acceptance speech.

"This is unbelievably believable," he said. "It's unbelievable because in the moment we're all amazed when great things happen. But it's believable because great things don't happen without hard work.

Griffin received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points.

"Everybody associated with Baylor has a reason to celebrate tonight," he said.

Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and `07.

He was also first to congratulate Griffin

"Very much well deserved," Luck said.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

Griffin's highlights were simply spectacular - his signature moment coming on a long, cross-field touchdown pass with 8 seconds left to beat Oklahoma - and he put up dizzying numbers, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdown passes and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating.

More importantly, he lifted Baylor (9-3) to national prominence and one of the greatest seasons in school history. The 15th-ranked Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat the Sooners for the first time ever and went 4-0 in November.

That was after winning a total of four November games in their first 15 Big 12 seasons. And the last three games? Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

Luck was the front-runner from the moment in January he surprised many by returning to Stanford for one more season instead of jumping to the NFL to become a millionaire. He didn't disappoint, with 3,170 yards receiving, 35 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 70 percent and a rating of 167.5.

Griffin put up better numbers and, essentially, out-Lucked Luck, who became a star by lifting a forlorn program at a private school out of the shadows of its powerful conference rivals.

Luck made a sensational one-handed catch early in what turned out to be a blowout victory against UCLA. Nice.

Griffin made a 15-yard reception in traffic to convert a key third down on the game-winning drive in Baylor's opening 50-48 victory against TCU. Better.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder with sprinter's speed - he was an all-American in the 400-meter hurdles - grabbed plenty of headlines and attention with that first Friday performance against the Horned Frogs and ended the first month of the season with more touchdown passes than incompletions.

He was an early Heisman front-runner, but he faded in October as Baylor lost three of four. Griffin continued to pile up video game numbers, but not enough to compensate for the Bears' leaky defense.

He finished with a kick and shot up the Heisman charts on Nov. 19, when Baylor beat Oklahoma 45-38. Griffin passed for 479 yards and four touchdowns against the Sooners, including that sensational 34-yard, game-winner to Terrance Williams in the closing seconds.

He stated his case one last time - emphatically - on championship Saturday, capping his season with 320 yards passing and two TD passes and two touchdown runs in a 48-24 victory against Texas. It was the second straight year Griffin led the Bears past those longtime bullies from Austin.

At that point it become obvious that quarterback Don Trull's fourth-place finish in 1963 would no longer be the Heisman standard at Baylor.

Landing Griffin, the son of two U.S. Army sergeants who settled in central Texas, was a recruiting coup for Baylor, though it was something of a package deal.

Griffin had committed to Houston and coach Art Briles, but when Baylor hired Briles away, Griffin switched up and followed the coach to a program that hadn't even played in a bowl game sinve 1994.

He started 11 games as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008 and tore a knee ligament three games into the 2009 season.

He returned last year as good as new and with a newfound commitment and love of football. He threw for 3,501 yards and led Baylor to a 7-6 record and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

This season, his passing has improved and he's still a dangerous runner (644 yards and nine DS). He has left little doubt that he's a pro prospect, though he's got one more game - the Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 in San Antonio - to show his stuff.

An aspiring lawyer who is working on a master's degree in communications, he holds 46 school records and adoring Bears fans are praying he comes back for more.

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Upsets in Big Ten leave Michigan State on top

Iowa knocked off Michigan and Northwestern upset Nebraska, leaving Michigan State the big winner in the Big Ten's Legends Division on Saturday.

And the Spartans barely escaped a close call against Minnesota.

In Iowa City, the Hawkeyes made a late goal line stand to preserve a 24-16 lead and beat No. 13 Michigan.

That was a mild upset because just last week Iowa had lost to Minnesota. What happened in Lincoln, Neb., was far more surprising.

With backup quarterback Cain Colter playing for Dan Persa, Northwestern upset the ninth-ranked Cornhuskers 28-25.

The loss by Nebraska put No. 15 Michigan State (4-1) alone in first in the Legends Division, the only team with one loss. The Spartans rallied in the second half to beat Minnesota 31-24.

Michigan, Iowa and Nebraska are all 3-2.

No. 1 LSU 9, No. 2 Alabama 6

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - No. 1 LSU gained the inside track to the BCS title game, beating No. 2 Alabama 9-6 on Drew Alleman's 25-yard field goal in overtime after a fierce defensive struggle in which neither team reached the end zone.

The Crimson Tide missed four field goals, including Cade Foster's 52-yard attempt after Alabama got the ball first in the extra period. LSU appeared to win the game on Michael Ford's run around left end after taking a pitch, but he stepped out of bounds at the 7.

After two plays gained nothing, LSU (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) sent on Alleman to attempt his third field goal of the game on third down. Alabama (8-1, 5-1) tried to freeze him by calling timeout, but he calmly knocked it through to set off a wild celebration by the visiting team.

The crowd of more than 100,000 at Bryant-Denny Stadium - most of them dressed in crimson - sat in stunned silence as LSU celebrated its victory in only the 23rd regular-season matchup between the top two teams in The Associated Press rankings.

LSU still must win its last three regular-season games - No. 8 Arkansas is the toughest test - and then would have to get through the SEC championship game. But the Tigers are the clear favorite after winning another huge game away from home, emerging with the victory in a matchup between the two teams generally considered the best in the land.

No. 3 Oklahoma State 52, No. 17 Kansas State 45

Brandon Weeden threw for a school-record 502 yards and four touchdowns, and Joseph Randle scored the tiebreaking 23-yard touchdown with 2:16 remaining to lift Oklahoma State over Kansas State.

The Cowboys (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) matched the best start in school history and withstood quite a scare from K-State (7-2, 4-2), which had three shots at the end zone in the final 12 seconds.

Collin Klein missed on 5-yard passes intended for Tyler Lockett and Chris Harper and then overshot Tramaine Thompson as time expired.

All-America receiver Justin Blackmon caught 13 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, atoning for his two-fumble game with a 54-yard touchdown catch with 4:47 remaining that pulled the Cowboys out of a 38-37 deficit. He also caught the 2-point conversion for a 45-38 lead.

No. 4 Stanford 38, Oregon State 13

Andrew Luck shook off the rain and the chill to throw for 206 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford extended the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games.

The victory was costly for the Cardinal, who lost senior receiver Chris Owusu to a concussion in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Beavers cornerback Jordan Poyer. Owusu was taken from the field by ambulance.

The Cardinal (9-0, 7-0 Pac-12) are off to their best start since 1952.

Redshirt freshman Sean Mannion threw for 252 yards and a touchdown for Oregon State (2-7, 2-4), which is guaranteed a losing season with the defeat. The Beavers' only wins have come against Arizona and Washington State.

No. 5 Boise State 48, UNLV 21

Kellen Moore threw five touchdown passes to become college football's winningest quarterback and Boise State brushed off a first-half scare from UNLV.

Moore threw two touchdowns each to Tyler Shoemaker and Matt Miller, racking up 224 yards through the air on 18-of-31 passing for Boise State (8-0, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) despite leaving the game early in the fourth quarter.

The victory gave Moore 46 career wins, one more than former Texas star Colt McCoy.

Moore, in his fourth year as Boise State's starting quarterback, is 46-2, tops all-time among FBS quarterbacks in winning percentage (95.8 percent). Stanford's Andrew Luck is second at 85.3 percent (29-5).

UNLV (2-6, 1-2) matched the Broncos' first two touchdowns, but a pass interference call close to halftime set up Boise State's go-ahead score.

No. 6 Oregon 34, Washington 17

Oregon's LaMichael James ran for 156 yards and a touchdown, and the sixth-ranked Ducks forced three key turnovers and extended the longest win streak in the rivalry with their foes to the north.

On a night filled with Washington nostalgia as the school honored the 1991 co-national championship team and said goodbye to Husky Stadium in its current incarnation before a $250 million renovation, the Ducks (8-1, 6-0) ruined the party.

Eddie Pleasant picked off Keith Price twice in the first half and Terrance Mitchell stripped tight end Michael Hartvigson late in the third quarter. The Ducks converted the three turnovers by Washington (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) into 14 points.

No. 7 Oklahoma 41, Texas A&M 25

Landry Jones threw two touchdown passes during Oklahoma's 28-point third-quarter surge, but the Sooners lost All-America receiver Ryan Broyles for the year with a knee injury.

Broyles came out in the third quarter and the school announced after the game the senior had torn a ligament in his left knee. He had two catches for 87 yards and both helped set up touchdowns.

The Sooners (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) led just 13-10 at halftime, but Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3) had its second-half troubles continue - the Aggies gave up big second-half leads in its previous three losses.

The Aggies, headed for the Southeastern Conference, won't miss coming to Norman. They're now 0-7 on Owen Field during the Bob Stoops era; the previous six losses had come by an average of 41 points.

No. 8 Arkansas 44, No. 10 South Carolina 28

Tyler Wilson threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns as No. 8 Arkansas held on for a win.

Jarius Wright added four catches for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Dennis Johnson had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Razorbacks, who won their fifth straight.

Arkansas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) outgained the Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2) 435-207, but a pair of missed field goals and key dropped passes kept the Razorbacks from securing the win until late.

The Razorbacks led 24-14 at halftime, but South Carolina pulled within 30-28 early in the fourth quarter on a touchdown run by quarterback Connor Shaw.

Northwestern 28, No. 9 Nebraska 25

Second-string quarterback Kain Colter ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead Northwestern to an upset.

Filling in for injured starter Dan Persa in the second half, Colter scored from the 1 with 1:34 left to finish a 13-play, 66-yard drive that chewed more than 7 minutes off the clock after the Cornhuskers had pulled to 21-18.

Taylor Martinez, who passed for 289 yards and two scores, hurriedly moved Nebraska (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) down the field. He hit Kenny Bell for a 14-yard touchdown with 18 seconds to play, but Charles Brown recovered the onside kick and Northwestern (4-5, 2-4) ran out the clock.

Persa injured his left shoulder in the second quarter when he was slammed to the ground by Eric Martin.

Colter ran for 58 yards and completed four of six passes for 115 yards.

Iowa 24, No. 13 Michigan 16

Marcus Coker ran for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Iowa held off a late Michigan rally.

James Vandenberg added 171 yards passing and a TD for the Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten), who have won three straight over Michigan for the first time in school history.

Michigan drove to Iowa's 3-yard line with 16 seconds left. But Denard Robinson missed on four straight throws, with Iowa's B.J. Lowery breaking up Robinson's final toss to seal the win.

Vincent Smith appeared to pull the Wolverines (7-2, 3-2) within 24-22 on an 82-yard TD run after bouncing off Iowa's James Morris and going untouched for the score. Replay officials overruled the call, but Michigan drove to the Hawkeyes doorstep before being stopped.

Robinson finished 17-of-37 passing for 194 yards and two TD passes.

No. 14 Houston 56, UAB 13

Case Keenum threw for 407 yards to become the most prolific passer in NCAA history and he added his first two rushing touchdowns of the season for Houston.

Keenum passed Timmy Chang's career record of 17,072 yards passing for Hawaii from 2000-04. Keenum finished the game with 17,212 yards passing.

Houston (9-0 overall, 5-0 Conference USA) has won its first nine games for the first time in school history. It also was 8-0 in 1979 and 1990.

Keenum completed 39 of 44 passes for 407 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The senior completed a 16-yard pass to Justin Johnson in the third quarter to pass Chang's mark. Kennum tied Chang's record with a 26-yard pass to Johnson on the previous play.

Keenum, who threw nine TD passes against Rice last week, completed his first 11 passes against UAB (1-8, 1-5). He began the night 267 yards away from matching Chang's mark.

No. 15 Michigan State 31, Minnesota 24

Le'Veon Bell's 35-yard touchdown run with 10:58 remaining helped Michigan State hold off upset-minded Minnesota.

Bell ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and Kirk Cousins threw for 296 yards and a pair of TDs. The Spartans (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) trailed 24-21 after three quarters before rallying.

MarQueis Gray threw three touchdown passes to Da'Jon McKnight for the Golden Gophers (2-7, 1-4), who upset Iowa last weekend but were unable to shake up the conference title race again.

With the score tied at 24, Bell found running room to the right and went all the way to the end zone to put the Spartans ahead. Minnesota had the ball at the Michigan State 45 with 15 seconds left, but Gray threw an interception.

No. 18 Georgia 63, New Mexico State 16

Aaron Murray threw five second-quarter touchdown passes, former walk-on receiver Brandon Harton ran for 98 yards and Georgia won its seventh straight game.

The Bulldogs (7-2) turned to Harton this week after Isaiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas were suspended one game for failing a drug test. Georgia was also without top reserve tailback Richard Samuel, who will miss the next month after undergoing ankle surgery.

But with Murray running the offense, Georgia had little reason for concern against New Mexico State (3-6).

Murray completed 18 of 23 passes for 238 yards in one half of play.

No. 19 Wisconsin 62, Purdue 17

Montee Ball rushed for a career-high 223 yards with three touchdowns and Wisconsin rebounded from back-to-back losses.

Russell Wilson threw two touchdowns and scored on a scramble for the Badgers (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten). The lopsided victory was a boost to the Badgers after their late collapses at Michigan State and Ohio State the past two weeks.

Raheem Mostert had five kickoff returns for 206 yards for the Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3), helping them stay in the game early on. Caleb TerBush started at quarterback for Purdue, with Robert Marve also getting some time.

Wilson was 15 of 20 for 205 yards, and had 76 yards rushing for the Badgers.

UCLA 29, No. 20 Arizona State 28

Derrick Coleman scored the go-ahead touchdown for UCLA on a 1-yard run with 49 seconds to play, and Alex Garoutte missed a 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Coleman's dive capped a perilous 79-yard drive featuring a fumble by Coleman, an offensive pass-interference penalty and a third-and-29 conversion by the Bruins (5-4, 4-2 Pac-12), who improbably moved into first place in the Pac-12 South for the first time since early last season.

Brock Osweiler passed for 264 yards and moved the Sun Devils 47 yards in 38 seconds to set up Garoutte's final attempt, but the freshman pushed it wide right - his second miss of the half.

Osweiler rallied Arizona State from a nine-point deficit in the second half, capping a 93-yard drive with a 1-yard TD dive with 7:48 left.

No. 23 Cincinnati 26, Pittsburgh 23

Zach Collaros threw for 214 yards and ran for two touchdowns as Cincinnati took firm control of the Big East race.

Isaiah Pead rushed for 118 yards and Tony Miliano kicked four field goals for the Bearcats (7-1, 3-0 Big East), who won their sixth straight and took a significant step toward winning the program's third conference title in four years.

Pitt (4-5, 2-2) led by 10 early in the third quarter but a pair of turnovers deep in its own territory allowed Cincinnati to get back in the game.

Tino Sunseri ran for a touchdown and passed for another but Kevin Harper's 50-yard field goal attempt with 14 seconds left was wide right.

Louisville 38, No. 24 West Virginia 35

Teddy Bridgewater threw for one touchdown, Andrew Johnson returned a blocked field goal for another score and Louisville upset West Virginia.

Not expected to be a factor in the Big East this season, the surprising Cardinals (5-4, 3-1) won their third straight in a tight race and dealt a severe blow to West Virginia's title chances.

Louisville also got a payback of sorts after being overlooked in the recent Big 12 expansion sweepstakes, a bid that went to the Mountaineers.

Geno Smith threw for 410 yards and three scores but couldn't bring the Mountaineers (6-3, 2-2) back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter.

Louisville broke a four-game losing streak in the series.

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Geoffrey Mutai, Firehiwot Dado win at NYC Marathon

Geoffrey Mutai shattered the course record in the New York City Marathon on Sunday, no surprise after he ran the fastest marathon ever earlier this year.

Firehiwot Dado wasn't a favorite coming into the women's race and victory seemed impossible with even a few miles left. But the Ethiopian made a stunning comeback for her first major marathon title

Mutai finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 6 seconds, crushing the previous mark of 2:07:43 set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia a decade earlier.

The 30-year-old has established himself as the favorite at next summer's Olympics after two landmark performances this year.

In April, he ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history: 2:03:02 in Boston. It didn't count as a world record because the course is considered too straight and too downhill.

The second- and third-place finishers Sunday also broke the old course record. Fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai (no relation), the London Marathon champ, was 1:22 back. Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia was third.

Dado trailed London Marathon champ Mary Keitany by nearly 2 1/2 minutes at the 15-mile mark but passed her with about a mile left. The 27-year-old Dado won in 2:23:15 - almost a minute better than her previous personal best.

Fellow Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx, was second for her first podium finish at a major marathon, four seconds back. It was the second-closest women's finish in the race's history.

"I didn't really think we would catch her," Dado said through a translator in a post-race interview. "When we caught up to her, I was very surprised."

Keitany was third, 23 seconds back. The Kenyan was well under course-record pace for much of the race but faded badly over the final miles.

A record 47,107 runners started the race through the five boroughs.

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Missouri to SEC is done deal

After weeks of waiting, Missouri's move to the Southeastern Conference became official on Sunday.

The SEC released a statement saying the conference's presidents and chancellors acted unanimously, and Missouri will join the league effective July 1, 2012.

"The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference are pleased to welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC," Florida President Bernie Machen said in a statement. "The University of Missouri is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions."

Missouri will be leaving the Big 12, a conference it has been a part of since 1907, including its days as the Big Eight.

"The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri," Missouri Chancellor Brady J. Deaton said. "In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success. The SEC will provide our student-athletes with top flight competition and unparalleled visibility. We came to this decision after careful consideration of the long term best interests of our university.

"We believe the Southeastern Conference is an outstanding home for the Mizzou Tigers, and we take great pride in our association with this distinguished league."

The addition of Missouri will increase SEC membership to 14 schools, including Texas A&M, which announced last month that it was also leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

Asked what division Missouri would be in, Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long posted on his Twitter account that Missouri will be in the "East initially."

Interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas declined comment.

Sunday's announcement comes as no surprise. Last month the Missouri board of curators gave Deaton the permission to change leagues and from that point on it seemed only a matter of time before the Tigers said goodbye to the Big 12.

Apparently, legal issues and other details took time to work out. The Big 12 needed to have a replacement for Missouri lined up, because the conference needs 10 schools to fulfill its TV contracts.

The Big 12 took care of that and bid farewell to Missouri 10 days ago, when it invited West Virginia from the Big East to join the conference. The league did not even list Missouri among the schools it anticipated would be competing in the Big 12 next year.

But despite what the SEC and Big 12 plan, the Big East still will have a say in when Missouri and West Virginia will be allowed to start competing in their new conference homes.

Big East Commissioner John Marinatto has been adamant about enforcing the league's 27-month notification period and holding West Virginia in the conference for the next two years.

West Virginia filed a lawsuit challenging that rule and the Big East countered with a lawsuit asking the courts to make the school abide by its contract.

The Big East is in rebuilding mode now and is expected to start adding new members in the next few days. The league last week approved inviting Boise State, Navy and Air Force for football only and SMU, Houston and Central Florida for all sports.

Its goal is to form a 12-team football league, but even if all the schools its targeting accept invitations, there are various hurdles that would have to be cleared - including waiting periods and exit fees - to have them in the Big East by 2012.

It's possible Missouri could be stuck in the Big 12 until West Virginia can depart from the Big East.

The SEC had said it was working on schedules for a 13-team conference when Texas A&M joined.

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NBA players get new offer, and deadline to take it

Commissioner David Stern gave NBA players an offer and a deadline: Accept a chance to earn up to 51 percent of basketball-related income by Wednesday or get ready for a deal that's a whole lot worse.

He wouldn't call it an ultimatum, but it didn't sure sit well with the union.

"The players will not be intimidated," attorney Jeffrey Kessler said early Sunday after eight hours of negotiations stretched late into the night. "They want to play, they want a season, but they are not going to sacrifice the future of all NBA players under these types of threats of intimidation. It's not happening on Derek Fisher's watch; it's not happening on Billy Hunter's watch; it's not happening on the watch of this executive committee."

Kessler said the proposal was really 50.2 percent for the players and called the chance of them ever reaching 51 percent a "fraud" and an "illusion."

Whatever. If players don't agree to it by Wednesday, Stern said they would get a deal that would guarantee them just 47 percent of BRI and call for a flex salary cap.

"We hope that this juxtaposition will cause the union to assess its position and accept the deal," Stern said.

Thus ended another frustrating day, one that puts a lengthy 2011-12 season in doubt.

"Today was another sad day for our fans, for arena workers, our parking lot attendants, our vendors. Very frustrating, sad day," union president Fisher added. "We, for sure, unequivocally, made good faith efforts to try to get this deal done tonight. And we're at a loss for why we could not close it out."

And it remains difficult to see how they can. Stern certainly wouldn't speculate on the chances.

"I'm not going to make percentage guesses or anything like that. We want our players to play. We'd like to have a season," he said. "These are the terms upon which we're prepared to gear up and get in as many games as possible."

Players and owners met with federal mediator George Cohen for more than eight hours, and Stern said Cohen offered six "what if?" recommendations relating to the BRI split and the salary cap system.

Stern said owners accepted the first five and would put them in writing in a formal proposal to the players, hopefully Sunday. But it wasn't acceptable Saturday, with Stern saying Kessler rejected it.

"I think it's fair to say that speaking on behalf of the union, Mr. Kessler rejected the mediators' recommendations and our proposal," Stern said. "But hope springs eternal, and we would love to see the union accept the proposal that is now on the table."

Though insistent on no more than a 50-50 split, owners will offer the players a band that would allow them to receive between 49 percent and 51 percent of revenue. However, Stern's description of how it would work was confusing, and Kessler said under "the wildest, most unimaginable, favorable projections and we might squeeze out to 50.2."

Fisher said the players' proposal would have given them about 51 percent, with a portion taken out to use for retired players' benefits

Day 128 of the lockout came at the end of a tenuous week in which both sides seemed as much at odds with themselves as each other. Some players took part in conference calls to discuss the option of decertifying the union and filing an antitrust case against the league, while hardline owners were in favor of offering the players 47 percent now and not going beyond 50.

Although the lengthy meeting offered hope of compromise - despite the rare attendance of Hall of Famer and Charlotte owner Michael Jordan, and Portland billionaire owners Paul Allen, considered to be hard-liners - Kessler said owners never really made any.

"They came in here with a prearranged plan to try to strong arm the players," he said. "They knew today they were sticking to 50, essentially 50.2. They were going to make almost no movement on the system, and then they were going to say, 'My way, or the 47 percent highway.'"

He added there was no reason to talk again before Wednesday if the owners stick to their current position.

Other items in the new owners' proposal related to rules for teams paying the luxury tax and for the use of the midlevel exception. Players have said the system issues are just as important as the BRI split, because they fear owners' proposals essentially would prevent teams in the biggest markets from being free agent options.

A month of the season already has been lost, and more games could be in jeopardy soon. Nobody said the decertification threat made any real impact on the discussions, but Fisher also said there's not a deal yet that's worth a vote.

If they can't agree to one by Wednesday, it will be even harder to find common ground. Players already rejected a flex cap in June.

Fisher and Kessler again questioned the owners' willingness to negotiate, but Stern said they were ready to make a deal - by Wednesday.

"We want to allow the union enough time to consider our most recent proposal, and we are hopeful that they will accept," he said.

As for the Wednesday deadline, he added that it "doesn't aid the negotiating process to just leave it hanging out there."

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LSU locks up No. 1, Okla St jump to 2 in AP poll

LSU put a lock on the top spot, Oklahoma State moved up to No. 2 for the best ranking in school history, and Alabama slipped to No. 4 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll after losing a 1 vs. 2 showdown against the Tigers.

LSU received 59 out of 60 first-place votes after beating the Crimson Tide 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday night.

Oklahoma State moved up one spot after a wild 52-45 victory against Kansas State and Stanford also moved up a spot to third.

Alabama slipped two spots Sunday. Boise State remained No. 5 with one first-place vote.

The rest of the top 10 was No. 6 Oregon, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

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