Say goodbye to the Irish and hello to the Huskers

Sporting News, The, Nov 29, 1993 by Ivan Maisel

That's enough out of you in Nebraska. You're going to get your national championship game. It's not enough that New England Catholics might make a saint of a walk-on, one-time mediocre kicker named David Gordon. Nebraska fans want to elect him governor.

The developments of the last full Saturday of college football left fans across the nation sputtering. First, Ohio State utterly collapsed at Michigan Stadium, opening the door for Wisconsin to go to the Rose Bowl.

Auburn, training archrival Alabama, 14-5, and without four-year starting quarterback Stan White, came back to win, 22-14, and finish the season 1 1 -0.

West Virginia held Miami to minus-18 yards in the first quarter and 223 yards over-all in a 17-14 victory. The Mountaineers, accustomed to being overshadowed, went unnoticed in their greatest victory.

The nation showered glory and attention on Boston College, which brought to a screeching halt the debate that had paralyzed college football for a week: Who's No. 2?

Having blown a 38-17 lead in the final quarter, Boston College redeemed itself in the final 1:09. The Eagles went from their 25-yard line to the Irish 24 to set up Gordon's career-long 41-yard (that's what we meant by mediocre) attempt.

The low kick split the uprights and rent asunder the Irish's bid for their third perfect regular season in 44 years.

The polls released last Sunday made it clear that, without upsets, Florida State and Nebraska will meet in the Orange Bowl with the national title at stake. The Cornhuskers are a definite No. 1 in the USA Today/CNN coaches poll, receiving 43 of 62 first-place votes.

The Seminoles are a narrow No. 2 over West Virginia, after Mountaineers Coach Don Nehlen churlishly accosted "writers who don't know anything" in his postgame remarks. Presumably these would include members of the West Virginia media who gave him an ovation when he walked into the news conference.

In The Associated Press media Poll, Florida State is a narrow No. 1 over Nebraska. Auburn, which the coaches cannot vote for because of NCAA probation, is third, followed by Notre Dame and West Virginia.

Should Florida State and Nebraska meet in the Orange Bowl, it would be a rematch of last season's 27-14 Seminoles victory.

Barring further surprises, the winner of West Virginia-Boston College is a likely participant in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M (or Texas, if the Longhorns pull a Thanksgiving Day miracle). However, the Cotton Bowl could invite Notre Dame.

Otherwise, the Irish likely would travel to New Orleans to play the Florida-Alabama winner in the Sugar Bowl.

The Big East runner-up the Boston College-West Virginia loser or Miami -- would face Arizona or North Carolina in the Fiesta.

With upsets, say Oklahoma winning at Nebraska or Florida extending its 23-game home winning streak at the expense of Florida State, everything would change.

All this confusion is the best justification for the Bowl Coalition. Without it, Notre Dame and Nebraska would be a done deal in the Orange Bowl.

Coalition coup

Boston College did Nebraska and the Coalition a tremendous favor. Notre Dame's loss ended the possibility that the Fighting Irish and Florida State would play a rematch for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.

The upset also ended the carping by Nebraska fans. Their argument that Nebraska "deserves a chance" because it is undefeated holds no water.

The charge given poll voters is to rank teams in order of their ability. That takes judgment. You can argue with a voter's judgment, but that's all it is. The idea behind the Coalition poll is that by using the votes of 62 media members and 62 coaches, you achieve some semblance of balance.

If all it took was an undefeated record, why have polls? Let's just fine up teams by their won-lost records at the end of the season. Auburn is 11-0, so name the Tigers national champions and be done with it.

Not fair, you say? Nebraska played a tougher schedule? But that's your perception, which is what the polls are based on. All of which leads us back to Florida State.

The perceptions of 124 voters have been that Florida State is a better team than Nebraska. After the Seminoles lost to Notre Dame A.P. voters gave 44 second-place votes to Florida State and 15 to Nebraska.

Visitors to the East

Don't the Japanese control enough? Now the Big Ten must go to Tokyo to determine who will play UCLA in the Rose Bowl. After Ohio State's disastrous 28-0 loss to Michigan, Wisconsin can return to Pasadena for the first time in 31 seasons by defeating Michigan State on December 4.

Badgers Athletic Director Pat Richter moved the home game overseas back when he had to worry about mundane affairs such as money. A Wisconsin state legislator wrote Richter last week and asked him to rescind the deal.

That was the most blatant grab for votes since last month, when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-ky.) asked the Justice Department to look at the Coalition's adherence to antitrust law. The difference might be that earlier this month, the justice Department agreed to take a look at it.