IT'S PUT-UP TIME - AFTER ROUGH START, HEAT'S ON SOME COLLEGE COACHES

Some 25 coaches will have a wonderful, albeit, disappointing opportunity today to practice what they preach: Accountability applies to everyone in a program.

After today's 51 games involving FBS teams are over, there will be 25-plus teams that lost. How will those coaches respond?

Consider how three coaches handled it last week. Miami coach Randy Shannon was blunt after a 45-17 loss to FSU.

"Basically, I'm not going to sugarcoat it," he said. "We just got our butt whipped tonight. Prime, simple, and easy. My fault as the coach at the University of Miami. I'm not going to blame the kids." Rutgers coach Greg Schiano had this to say after a 17-14 loss to Tulane.

"I'll try to answer your questions," he said. "It's on me. I was unable to get our team ready to go, unable to get over a tough loss, I guess, against North Carolina, unable to get our team to realize how hard this game would be.

So as the head coach, everything, that falls on me." These coaches have set high standards for their programs. They have their kids' back but they coach them hard. They demand accountability, something they can't expect if they themselves don't own up.

The Post looks at three coaches who might be well served later today by taking responsibility for their team's performance. Texas coach Mack Brown: He's raised, or re-raised, the bar for Texas football by winning a national title and establishing himself as arguably the nation's top recruiter.

He also is the nation's bestpaid college coach ($5.1 million).

If Texas loses at Nebraska, it will mark the first three-game, regular-season losing streak since Brown got to Austin.

Pi ttsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt: In his sixth season, this was supposed to mark the Panthers' return to the Top 10.

But after losses in their three marquee non-conference matchups, all that's left for Pitt is to win the league and get to a BCS bowl game. The Panthers are one-point underdogs at rebuilding Syracuse.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster: After a 1-11 first season, Brewster, who vowed when he was hired to take Gopher Nation to the Rose Bowl, seemed to have it headed in the right direction, going 13-13 in the next two seasons.

Yet after moving into a new stadium last season, the Gophers are off to a 1-5 start.

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE: The 14 seniors on the Wisconsin football team have never beaten Ohio State, but they have a fantastic opportunity tonight when they play host to the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes.

Since 2004, when now Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was elevated to defensive coordinator under Barry Alvarez, the Badgers are 40-4 at home, the best home record in the Big Ten.

The Badgers are ready to crack some Buckeyes. They have been motivated by South Carolina's upset of Alabama last week.

"It just goes to show you that No. 1 doesn't mean you're invincible or you can't be beaten," defensive end J.J. Watt said.

"It's Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, it's nothing crazy. They're not a bunch of Green Bay Packers or Supermans over there, it's a college football team and we're going to come in here prepared."