Brawls, bobbleheads, basketweaving

It's all over. And all I have left is an Antwaan Randle El bobble-head doll. \nSaturday's 26-15 victory over Kentucky was boring, ordinary and ... boring. As exciting as trying to decide just how much gigantic Wildcat quarterback Jared Lorenzen weighs. \nLess exciting than discussing bologna sandwiches ... until the final seconds and the tangle of crimson and UK blue that ensued. Some guys threw punches and pushes. Others, like junior Enoch DeMar and freshman Damien Jones, threw helmets. \nIf IU couldn't win the Big Ten in football, it might do so in a bar-fighting contest. \n"We're not going to back down," Randle El said. "You're not going to let guys punch you and kick you."\nSo, some guys punched back. And some fired helmets. \n• Speaking of fired ... Cam Cameron might have saved his job Saturday, nailing down his best season in Bloomington. Cameron is expected to meet with athletics director Michael McNeely within the next week to discuss his future (discussing the past wouldn't involve much other than 38 losses). \nCameron has the support of his players. \n"This is the first time since he's been here that we've had so many big victories in a row," senior Marcus Floyd said. "He's shown great leadership. We learned how to win. This is something the program can build upon."\nIU will have to do so without some building blocks -- eight seniors (three offense and five defense) started the season finale, and the Hoosiers have 16 seniors on the roster. \n"He doesn't give up," Randle El said of Cameron. "He does a lot of stuff for his players, and that says a lot more than coaching. He should be rewarded in a lot of different ways." \nCameron didn't get much of an applause Saturday. In fact, he wasn't even on the field as players and students celebrated IU's victory and Randle El's final game. But he did make this interesting statement. \n"If Indiana University does not want me to be their football coach, they do not owe me a penny," Cameron said. "If the rationale is to keep me to save money, that is not an issue. Indiana University has done more for me than I could ever do for Indiana University."\nIf you're fired, how about a penny per victory? Eighteen cents, coming right up. \nFact is, Cameron is young (40) and can run an offense. But 18 wins in five years -- no matter if you beat Purdue and Kentucky to close the season or if you're coaching Basketweaving State -- is not getting it done, even if you're nice.\n• If Cameron is retained, someone give him a lesson in fashion. The fluffy hair is nice, but those vests? And that paper tucked in the pants? Come on. \n• The shoulder ride for Randle El Saturday was deserving and fitting. So was his piece on ESPN's "College Gameday." Every complement is an understatement, and every criticism is unjust. \n"Whatever anybody says about him, multiply that by three," senior Craig Osika said. "He's unreal." \nRandle El didn't waste his career, nor did he attract near enough national attention. Who else gets his own bobblehead doll? Take that, Heisman Trophy. \n• Students, good job dismantling the goalposts after the Purdue game, but what happened Saturday? Hell, IU won five games. That's the most since 1994. Tear down something. \n• Saturday's attendance (26,449) was horrid. Not sure what else people in Indiana do on fall Saturdays (rake leaves?), but IU football isn't popular. IU deserved better, even if 5-6 isn't a record that should ignite riots. If nothing else, the student body could start ripping up 20,000 Memorial Stadium seats. Just so long as they put them back for Ohio State's next visit. \n• Lastly, football took a back seat Sunday when it was revealed that the mother of senior running back Levron Williams was shot and killed in Evansville Saturday night after watching her son's last football game. It's a horrifying story. I'm just glad she got to see him finish his standout career. Life isn't easy. Or fair. Keep fighting, Levron. Keep smiling.