| | |
|
Giant-killer wannabes Aggies' Slocum sees similarities in Buckeyes, Seminoles
Posted: Thursday December 31, 1998 05:25 PM
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Should the national championship vote become a choice between No. 2 Florida State and No. 3 Ohio State, the best perspective may come from the only coach who will have played them both -- R.C. Slocum of Texas A&M. The Aggies began the season by giving the Seminoles a scare in the Kickoff Classic before losing 23-14. They end the year Friday night in the Sugar Bowl against the Buckeyes, the top-ranked team for 10 weeks until a shocking loss to Michigan State. "The reality is, one lost a little later in the season than the other. That's the only difference," Slocum said Thursday. "We play both teams, and there's not a significant difference between them in terms of how they play. "I haven't watched Florida State as much after our game, but we did play them. We've watched all of Ohio State's tapes, and they're a good football team. They should have a chance [at winning a share of the national championship]." Of course, that becomes a moot point if No. 1 Tennessee completes a perfect season by beating Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl. In the meantime, coach John Cooper and the Buckeyes (10-1) are doing everything they can to control the only thing they can -- beating No. 8 Texas A&M and then waiting on some help from the Seminoles. "I would like to win impressively, but I have great respect for Texas A&M," Cooper said. "I'd take a one-point win right now and be happy with it. I don't see us scoring a lot of points against their defense. We're not going out there thinking we've got to blow out A&M or anything like that." The only two losses for the Texas A&M (11-2) came to the Seminoles, who trailed 14-10 midway through the third quarter, and Texas, which won on a last-second field goal. Also working in the Aggies' favor is whom they have beat -- an undefeated, second-ranked Nebraska team, and undefeated, second-ranked Kansas State. Yet once again, the Aggies find themselves as nearly two-touchdown underdogs, a role they have come to accept. "We won't be intimidated by Ohio State," Slocum said. "As I've told the team before the Nebraska game and the Kansas State game, let's go on the field ... and if they're good enough to beat us, so be it. Let's not let all the bull before the game beat us." The Sugar Bowl has all the ingredients to be the kind of exciting game that has marked the bowl season. Ohio State has impressive balance on offense -- the efficient passing of Joe Germaine, a great receiver in David Boston and a 1,000-yard rusher in Michael Wiley. The Buckeyes are ranked sixth in the country in defense, have given up only 12 touchdowns all year and is No. 1 against the run, the Aggies' strength. Texas A&M isn't always pretty on offense -- it's ranked No. 91 -- but it always seems to get it done. Branndon Stewart is coming off a 324-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kansas State. If he's not answer, Randy McCown is ready after breaking his collarbone against Texas. "We'll have some bad plays. I've tried to prepare Branndon for that," Slocum said. "The first time something bad happens, I won't react to that. I plan to let him go. It's his to take and run with it." The Aggies' specialty is their "Wrecking Crew" defense, which has allowed only seven rushes longer than 20 yards and held eight of its 13 opponents to 14 points or fewer. Slocum recalls the 1992 Cotton Bowl against Florida State, which featured two good offenses and two exceptional defenses. The result was a 10-2 victory by the Seminoles. "It's been my experience that when you get teams together that have good defenses and a good offense, the defense ends up make more of a presence felt," he said. That wouldn't be a good sign for the Buckeyes, who need to win as convincingly as possible for them to have any chance at their first national championship since 1968. The Buckeyes are still clinging to that hope, however small it may be. Cooper does not discourage them thinking about it, although he insists that Ohio State is not overconfident. "We talk a little bit about it, not in great detail," he said. "Until that door is completely shut, anything is possible. But we've put ourselves in a situation that it's a long shot, no question." He knows that from experience. Two years ago, the Buckeyes also had to win their bowl game, have the top-ranked team lose and then hope the AP voters thought highly enough of them to make them No. 1. Everything fell into place -- except that Ohio State finished a distant second to the Florida Gators in the poll. "We'd love to be playing for all the marbles," Cooper said. "We'd love to have control of our own destiny."
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
