Arkansas coach apologizes for leaving WVU off football ballot

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt says he has apologized to West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez for leaving the Mountaineers off his ballot in the coaches&#39; Top 25 football poll.<br> <br> Nutt said he had voted for West Virginia in previous weeks but that, while shuffling teams listed in the USA Today-ESPN poll, he inadvertantly left the Mountaineers off the ballot. He said he would have listed WVU No. 13.<br> <br> Nutt said Rodriguez understood that a mistake happened and ``was very gracious about it.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> ``I&#39;ve also gotten some e-mails from West Virginia fans. They&#39;re upset about it, and I understand their feelings,&#39;&#39; Nutt said.<br> <br> WVU finished the regular season No. 11 in both The Associated Press and the coaches&#39; polls. The 13 points West Virginia would have received from a properly cast Nutt ballot would not have been enough to move the team into the coaches&#39; top 10.<br> <br> Had Nutt included WVU, the vote would have knocked South Carolina from the No. 25 slot on Nutt&#39;s ballot.<br> <br> Nutt had Southern California No. 1 and Texas No. 2. Southern California defeated Arkansas 70-17 in September.<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)