Top coaching award between Paterno, Weis

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 29, 2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis looked like the most deserving candidate for National Coach of the Year after he turned the sixth-ranked Irish (8-2) from an average team into a BCS contender in just one year.

But Penn State's beloved 78-year-old, Joe Paterno, whose AP fourth-ranked, 10-1 team defeated Michigan State, 31-22, here on Saturday to win a share of the Big Ten title and earn the right to represent the conference in the BCS, is making a late run.

We're still leaning toward Weis, but it is hard to argue with the job Paterno and his staff - specifically his son Jay and offensive coordinator Galen Hall - have done with the team and senior quarterback Michael Robinson, taking full advantage of his skills as a runner and passer and transforming him into the best dual-threat quarterback in the Big Ten.

Robinson, who already has set a school record in total yardage, has accounted for 26 touchdowns. He's looked like a mirror image of Texas QB Vince Young ever since Hall and assistants Jay Paterno and Mike McQueary traveled to Austin to meet the Horns' coaching staff to discuss ways to make him better in a creative spread option offense.

Robinson, a dramatically improved passer, was 10-for-20 for 105 yards and one score and ran for another 90 yards - including a 33-yard touchdown scramble in the second quarter - against the Spartans to finish off a brilliant regular season. &#8220It's a sense of accomplishment and relief,” Robinson said. &#8220A lot of people doubted this team, but I'm happy right now. I don't know what to say, we were picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten, and at the Big Ten office people laughed when Coach Paterno went up to talk. All the people were talking about Michigan and Ohio State. Nobody even wanted to ask us questions, so it's a sense of redemption.”

&#8220We wouldn't be the same team we are without Michael,” center E.Z. Smith said. &#8220Everybody in the world knows Michael's withouot a doubt the best player in the Big Ten. Why he's not getting Heisman recognition, I haven't figured that out.”

If the Heisman folks invite five to New York, Robinson deserves to be one of them, along with quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush of USC, Texas' Young and Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn.

Robinson is a classic example of a player who never gave into the temptation to transfer two years ago, when he was being used primarily a tailback/wide receiver and was a backup to starting quarterback Zack Mills.

Robinson never was really accepted in the college town of Happy Valley tucked into the mountains of central Pennsylvania. He was the recipient of nasty E-mails and cruel letters from racist fans who were upset at the idea of a black quarterback running an outdated power I offense. Some complained that Robinson had too many tattoos to be a role model.

But like Paterno, he has shut up his critics in this, his one full year as a starter.

Dick Weiss is a KRT columnist.