Must-see TV:
Games to
Watch
Posted: Tue August 25, 1998
by John
Walters, Sports Illustrated
Seinfeld? Gone.
Sinatra? Gone. Larry
Sanders? Gone.
Jordan? Who
knows?
College football has suffered a similar wave of
high-profile departures. The four top Heisman vote-getters
(Charles Woodson, Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf and Randy Moss)
jumped to the NFL. The winningest coach of this decade,
Nebraska's Tom Osborne, bade
adieu
after wrapping up a share of his third national title in
the past four seasons. Even Eddie Robinson, who began
coaching at Grambling just three months after D-Day, has
retired.
The field is wide open for both the national title and the
Heisman Trophy. Herewith, a detailed map that blazes a
trail for you to follow throughout this, the murkiest of
college football seasons that we can
recall.
Scroll through the file, or click on a date to jump
directly to a selection of key games. Networks and times
(Eastern) are listed where available; otherwise, check
local
listings.
Aug. 29 - 31 | Sep. 5 - 10 - 12 - 19 - 26
Oct. 3 - 10 - 17 - 24 - 31 | Nov. 7 - 21 - 27 - 28
|
AUGUST
29 |
| Colorado State at Michigan
State - ESPN2, 4 PM
| |
The Rams, riding a nine-game win streak, encounter a severe
test at East Lansing. Spartans DE Robaire Smith (brother of
NFL DE Fernando Smith) is an All-America-level sacker who led
the Big Ten with a dozen last season.
|
|
Back to top
|
AUGUST
31 |
| Texas A&M vs. Florida
State - ABC, 8 PM
| |
Quipmeisters-cum-coaches R.C. Slocum and Bobby Bowden
invade the media capital of the world, New York City. The
Aggies coach, once described the rigors of policing a
Division I-A football program by referring to the Book of
Genesis: "Two people, one
law, and they couldn't even obey
that."
Calling the signals for the
Seminoles will be Chris Weinke, who is 26. Former FSU QB Danny Kanell
will have played for the New York Giants on this same turf
the night before in an exhibition game. Kanell is two years
younger than
Weinke.
|
|
Back to top
|
SEPTEMBER
5 |
| Tennessee at
Syracuse - ESPN, Noon
| | The real Orange Bowl. Vols
RB Jamal Lewis led all freshmen last season with 113.7 rushing
yards per game, but then opposing defenses focused more on
his backfield mate, Peyton Manning. If the Orangemen lose,
they're looking at an 0-2 start because their
next game is at
Michigan.
|
| Michigan at Notre
Dame - NBC, 3:30
PM | |
Every five years the Irish unfurl a little-known
African-American upperclassman QB as their starter and all
he does is take them to the national championship--or at
least to the brink of one. In 1988 it was Tony Rice, a 12-0
season and the title. In
1993, Kevin McDougal led Notre Dame to an 11-1 mark and an No. 3
final ranking. Can senior Jarious Jackson pull off the
trifecta this
season?
Wishful thinking against the defending national champions,
whose top-ranked defense lost only one starter (albeit
Heisman-winning cornerback Charles Woodson). The Irish will
be fired up and an upset is possible if tailback Autry
Denson gets his yards
and the Wolverines' first-time starter at QB, Tom Brady, gets
rattled.
| | Ohio State at West
Virginia - CBS, 8 PM | |
Possible Heisman showdown between Buckeyes
LB Andy Katzenmoyer and Mountaineers TB Amos Zereoue. Yes,
Cooper's troopers are everybody's No. 1. However, last
season Ohio State opened with an unimpressive 24-10
intersectional win vs. Wyoming. And that
game was in
Columbus.
Speaking of five-year plans, West Virginia finished 11-1 in
both 1988 and 1993. If Zereoue, who finished third in
rushing last season with 150.5 yards a game, can keep the
chains moving, the first No. 1 team of 1998 will be toppled
before Labor
Day.
|
| Colorado vs. Colorado
State - ESPN, 10 PM | |
Mile High Stadium in Denver plays host to this intrastate
war. Many are predicting a changing of the guard and a
CSU victory, but the Rams may be licking their wounds from the
Michigan State game. CU must replace 13 starters and mascot
Ralphie the
Buffalo, who died last winter.
|
| Washington at Arizona
State | |
The Sun Devils are an eyes-wide-open sleeper pick for the
national title. Two years ago, when
ASU made its Rose Bowl run, it opened the season with a
thrilling defeat of the Huskies. If the Devils play in
Pasadena this January, they will be
disappointed: the national championship will be decided at their home,
Sun Devil Stadium, in the Fiesta Bowl. RB J.R. Redmond is a
longshot for the
Heisman.
|
| Also
today: | |
Alabama
plays a real
non-SEC opponent (Was Northeast Louisiana busy?) when
Brigham Young
visits Tuscaloosa...Doug Williams, MVP of Super Bowl XXII,
becomes the second coach at
Grambling since 1944 as the Tigers welcome
Alcorn
State...Upset
Special: Penn State
hosts
Southern
Mississippi (8-3 a year ago)...Klunker:
Nebraska
hosts
Alabama-Birmingham.
|
| September
Mourn: | |
Toughest schedules this
month? Brigham
Young visits Alabama, hosts Arizona State and then travels to
Washington.
North
Texas is on the road at Oklahoma and Arizona State, then comes
home to play Texas
A&M.
|
|
Back to top
|
SEPTEMBER
10 |
| Navy at Wake
Forest - ESPN, 8 PM
| | Will this make anyone forget Navy at Wake
Island?
|
|
Back to top
|
SEPTEMBER
12 |
| Syracuse at
Michigan
| | Chew on this, Orangemen and Wolverines, as you both face
your second Top 25 foe in eight days: Florida opens with
homers vs. The Citadel and Northeast Louisiana. Who will
shine at QB today for
Michigan? Tom Brady, Scott Driesbach--who started two years
ago--or true freshman Drew Henson? Whoever takes the snaps
will be glad that senior TE Jerame Tuman and senior WR Tai
Streets, both of whom caught
TD passes in last January's Rose Bowl win, are still in Ann
Arbor.
|
| Texas at
UCLA - ABC, 3:30
PM | |
Go for a spree/On Rout 66-3.
That was the score of last year's debacle, in Austin, when
the Bruins, then 0-2, took out their frustrations on the
Longhorns. The win was the first of 10 straight for the
resurgent men of
Westwood.
Another Heisman tussle, this one more prominent than last
week's between Katzenmoyer and Zereoue. Bruins QB Cade
McNown, the '97 passing efficiency leader (168.6), meets
Texas TB Ricky Williams, who led the nation in rushing
(172.1 yards per game) a
year ago.
| | Also: | |
Joe Pa goes for win No. 300 (unless Southern Miss spoiled
things one week earlier) when
Penn State
hosts
Bowling
Green...Potential conference member
Notre
Dame plays its second of three straight Big Ten matchups when
it visits
Michigan
State.
|
|
Back to top
|
SEPTEMBER
19 |
| Central Florida at
Purdue - ESPN, 12:30
PM
| | Probably your first chance to watch Golden Knights QB
Daunte Culpepper, who is being touted as the top
quarterback for the 1999
NFL draft. Purdue coach Joe Tiller made football fun in his
first season in West Lafayette last year by leading the
Boilermakers to nine
wins.
|
| Duke at Florida
State | |
The Blue Devils will set an ACC record with their 19th
straight conference
loss.
| | Louisiana State at
Auburn - ESPN, 5
PM | |
Tiger versus Tiger on the Plain tonight. LSU squandered the
SEC West title a year ago with its 31-28 home loss to Auburn.
QB Herb Tyler
and TB Kevin Faulk lead the Bayou Bengals' potent offensive
attack.
|
| Florida at
Tennessee - CBS, 8
PM | |
As long as Volunteer State apostate Steve Spurrier and his
"ball plays" make their home in Gainesville, this
is a great rivalry. The Gators have beaten the Vols five
straight and this year, like last, they plan to do it with
defense. LB Jevon Kearse
(6'5", 240) is a
man-eater.
|
| Texas at Kansas
State | |
In 1988 K-State went 0-11. In 1998 Wildcats fans will be
disappointed with anything less than 11-0. Coming off a
road trip at UCLA, the Longhorns will not be intimidated by
QB Michael Bishop and K-State's 18 other returning
starters.
|
| Upset
Special: | |
Missouri
at
Ohio State.
Just ask Nebraska about
Mizzou.
|
|
Back to top
|
SEPTEMBER
26 |
| UCLA at
Miami - CBS,
Noon
| | It's
Pacific Blue
meets
Silk
Stalkings, for you fans of the
USA Network. The Pac-10 is 4-1 vs. the 'Canes in their last
five meetings. Miami is coming off its first losing season
since 1979, but tailbacks Edgerrin James and Najeh
Davenport will make this a
contest.
|
| USC at Florida
State | |
The Trojan horse mascot is named Traveler, but rarely does
USC venture this far east. This, in fact, is USC's only road
game among its first six matchups. New coach Paul Hackett
has some Florida State-caliber players in LB Chris
Claiborne and CB Daylon
McCutcheon. If Hackett can repair the Trojans offense, who
knows what might
happen? The Seminoles only won 14-7 when these teams met at the
Coliseum last
September.
|
| Washington at
Nebraska | |
Washington visits Lincoln. Expect the Huskers to rush more
than the Huskies, who will rely on Brock Huard's arm.
Nebraska's Red Sea supporters have not witnessed a loss at
home since 1991...courtesy of Washington. The best player
on the field may be
Nebraska FB Joel Mackovicka. After all, the Huskers grow
fullbacks (Corey Schlesinger, Tom Rathman, etc.) like,
well,
corn.
|
| Michigan State at
Michigan | |
Five
interceptions! The Spartans' leading receiver in last year's 23-7 loss to
the Wolverines was the Michigan defense. Expect
MSU coach Nick Saban to rely heavily on tailback Sedrick Irvin
in this early-season intrastate
showdown.
|
| Also: | |
Kentucky
and quarterback Tim Couch visit Florida Field and a the
SEC's best pass defense in the Gators...Blowoff class:
Louisiana State
hosts
Idaho.
|
|
Back to top
|
OCTOBER
3 |
| Arizona State at
USC - ABC, 3:30
PM
| |
Ryan Kealy at QB. tailbacks J.R. Redmond and Marlon Farlow.
Wideout Lenzie Jenkins. The Devils bedevil you with their
offensive pitchforks. The Trojans pose as Arizona State's
only stern road test until Thanksgiving
weekend.
|
| Fordham at
Princeton | |
It took more than seven blocks of granite to rebuild Old
Nassau's old stadium. Given that the Tigers played all
their games on the road last season, this is truly a
homecoming.
| Florida at
Alabama
Georgia at Louisiana
State
Tennessee at
Auburn | |
Remember when you could pencil in the first of these three
SEC East-meets-West showdowns as the potential conference title
game? No longer. 'Bama has
fallen. Off the top of your head, can you name the Tide's coach? Or
its quarterback?
Answers: Mike
DuBose and, perhaps, true freshman Tyler Watts. Can Watts' line,
with three new starters, spare him from Gators DTs Ed
Chester and Reggie McGrew?...Georgia and Louisiana State
both beat mighty Florida a year ago. The Dawgs' DB/WR Champ
Bailey will star on
both sides of the ball a la Charles Woodson...Tennessee and
Auburn renew one of the South's best rivalries, one that
has lain dormant since
1991.
|
| Penn State at Ohio
State | |
The Nittany Lions are 0-2 in Columbus since joining the Big
Ten in 1990. Ohio State's David Boston caught 73 passes
last season and needs 63 in this, his senior season, to
pass Cris Carter as No. 1 all-time for the
Buckeyes.
|
|
Back to top
|
OCTOBER
10 |
| Florida State at
Miami - CBS, 3:30
PM
| |
The Seminoles all but administered noogies and wedgies to
the 'Canes in Tallahassee last season. Don't expect Miami
to settle the score this
afternoon.
|
| Nebraska at Texas
A&M | |
What if they didn't hold the Big 12 championship game in an
antiseptic dome? It would be like
this: Two great programs playing in College Station as a devoted
legion of Aggies fans yell "Gig 'em!" (don't ask)
and kiss their dates after each touchdown.
A&M QB Brandonn Stewart began his career at Tennessee in the
same class (in one sense of the word) with Peyton Manning.
He'd improve his rep with an upset
win.
| | Notre Dame at Arizona
State | |
Sinister Sun Devils ticket peddlers will not sell
single-game seats for this one. You wanna see the Irish,
you have to buy season tickets. Actually, Arizona State has
the better team. But if QB Jarious Jackson, who has shown
flashes of becoming a potent
option runner, can avoid turnovers Notre Dame could steal
this desert
duel.
FYI: Tonight in Tucson (approximately 90 miles southeast of
Arizona State's Tempe campus) UCLA plays
Arizona.
|
| Kansas State at
Colorado | |
Rick Neuheisel is in his fourth season in Boulder, where
the going has been rocky the last two years. The Buffs went
5-6 in '97 and watched as the Wildcats passed them in the
conference hierarchy. This is K-State's toughest road game
of the year. Buffs
LB Hannibal Navies—now
that's a great name—will keep tabs on do-it-all Wildcats QB
Michael
Bishop.
|
| Louisiana State at
Florida - ESPN, 7
PM | |
These two teams are favored to meet in Atlanta for the SEC
championship. The Tigers shocked the world, and perhaps
themselves, by beating the Gators in Baton Rouge last
year.
|
|
Back to top
|
OCTOBER
17 |
|
You'd best watch the baseball playoffs. The best of a bad
lot of matchups this week pits
Virginia
at
Georgia Tech.
Cavaliers QB Aaron Brooks threw 20 TD passes and just seven
interceptions a year
ago.
|
|
Back to top
|
OCTOBER
24 |
| Miami at West
Virginia - CBS, 3:30
PM
| |
Can anyone stop Mountaineers RB Amos
Zereoue? The Hurricanes ranked 100th (!) against the run a year
ago.
|
| Missouri at
Nebraska | |
Last year's most memorable moment was
the kicked pass-turned-touchdown that saved Nebraska's
undefeated season and broke the heart of upset-minded
Mizzou. Tigers QB Corby Jones, who returns for his senior year,
threw for three TDs and a career-high 233 yards, while
running for 60 yards and another score, in the 45-38
overtime
loss.
|
|
Back to top
|
OCTOBER
31 |
| Louisiana State at
Mississippi
| |
This is the seventh time these two schools have met on the
night of the ghouls. It's also the 39th anniversary of
Billy Cannon's famous Halloween run. In 1959, Cannon
returned a punt 89 yards (he's still going, we believe), weaving
through the entire Ole Miss
defense before scoring the only TD in a 7-3 LSU win.
|
| North Carolina at Florida
State - ESPN, 7:30
PM | |
Will somebody
puh-leeze beat Bobby
Bowden? Since the Seminoles joined the ACC six years ago they have
lost only one conference game—to Virginia on a Thursday
night in 1995, when TB Warrick Dunn was stopped just shy of
the end zone in the final seconds. Last season the Tar
Heels got plenty of hype but still lost in Chapel Hill, 20-3.
Why should tonight be any
different?
|
| Florida vs
Georgia - CBS, 3:30
PM | |
The Bulldogs' 37-17 victory at The World's Largest
(Drunkest?) Cocktail Party last season was a pick-me-up for
the program. However, Georgia's star QB (Mike Bobo), RB
(Robert Edwards) and Mr. Everything (Hines Ward) are all
gone. Best matchup today will
be All-America candidate
Matt Stinchcomb at LT vs. whomever Florida is
blitzing.
|
| Wurst Octoberfest
Schedule: | |
Tennesseemakes SEC road trips to Auburn (10/3), Georgia (10/10) and
Alabama
(10/24).
|
|
Back to top
|
NOVEMBER
7 |
| Penn State at
Michigan - ESPN, 12:30
PM
| |
What was purported to be the game of the year in '97
devolved into a 34-8 Michigan rout at Happy Valley.
Linebacker U. has not produced an All-America at that
position since 1986. Junior Brandon Short may change
that.
|
| Virginia at Florida
State | |
The Cavaliers have won at least seven games in each of the
past 11 seasons. The Seminoles have won at least 10 games
in each of the past 11 seasons.
Conclusion: Virginia is impressive, but not as impressive as Florida
State.
|
| Syracuse at West
Virginia - ESPN 7:30
PM | |
The showdown for the Big East title. Virginia Tech will
likely figure into this mix, also, but the Hokies do not
have marquee players such as Orange QB Donovan McNabb and
the Mountaineers' Amos
Zereoue.
|
| Nebraska at Kansas
State
| |
Game of the
year? In Manhattan, Kansas? Believe it. By now, new Huskers coach
Frank Solich and new, lightning-fast QB Bobby Newcombe
should both have their acts down. The Wildcats last beat
Nebraska in 1968. If it is close, keep in mind that K-State
kicker Martin Gramatica won the Lou Groza Award in
'97.
|
| Texas at Texas
Tech
| |
Ricky Williams vs. Ricky Williams. Longhorns TB Ricky
Williams was the nation's leading rusher in '97. Red
Raiders TB Ricky Williams set a school rushing record for
frosh with 894 yards in '97. He also outdueled his senior
counterpart, 131 yards to 80,
when they met in Texas Tech's 24-10 win last
season.
|
| UCLA at
Washington
| |
The Bruins may well be No. 1 when the boats dock at Husky
Stadium. NFL scouts will be buying up rows of tickets to
watch the QB duel between Washington's Brock Huard and
UCLA's Cade
McNown.
|
| Wisconsin at
Michigan - ESPN, 12:30
PM
| |
The Great Dayne lives. Badgers back Ron Dayne, a bowling
ball with shoulder pads, runs behind and under 6'7",
371-pound T Aaron Gibson. Dayne, who had an "off"
year with 1,421 yards rushing in '97, presents an
interesting puzzle, even for the veteran
Wolverines
defense.
|
|
Back to top
|
NOVEMBER
21 |
| Blood
Feuds
|
Michigan at Ohio State,
ESPN, Noon
Florida at Florida State
Auburn at Alabama,
ESPN, 7:30
PM
Arizona State at Arizona
USC at UCLA
Rivalry Week begins. Anything more fun than ruining your
neighbor's holiday travel
plans? Ask Michigan, which has often carjacked Ohio State's Rose
Bowl hopes. The Buckeyes under John Cooper are 1-8-1 versus
UM...Florida State would have played for the
national championship, or at least a share, had it not lost
32-29 at the Swamp a year ago...Arizona jumped out to a
28-0 lead over higher-rated Arizona State last November
before finishing them off 28-16 and bumping the Sun Devils
from the Fiesta Bowl to
the Sun Bowl...Southern Cal-UCLA is always sun and fun and
fourth-quarter heroics, while Auburn-Alabama is as intense
as a rivalry
gets.
|
| Louisiana State at Notre
Dame - NBC, 1:30
PM | |
LSU coach Gerry DiNardo returns to his alma mater, where he was
an offensive lineman on the 1973 national champions. The
Tigers and Irish split a pair of games last season. Notre
Dame beat LSU in Baton Rouge, 24-6, then the Bayou Bengals
returned the
favor in the Independence Bowl,
27-9.
|
| Kentucky at
Tennessee | |
Tim Couch is now the big kid on the block among
SEC QBs. How will he fare before 103,000 rabid Vols
fans?
|
|
Back to top
|
NOVEMBER
27 |
| Texas
A&M at
Texas - ABC, 11
AM
| |
Mack Brown ends his first season in Austin, after a hellish
schedule that included three road trips to preseason Top 10
schools. The winner here should go on to San Antonio a week
later for the Big 12 title
game.
|
| Colorado at
Nebraska - ABC, 2:30
PM | |
Can the Buffs catch the Huskers looking past
them? Naaaah.
|
|
Back to top
|
NOVEMBER
28 |
| Miami at
Syracuse - CBS, 3:30
PM
| |
Donovan McNabb, Syracuse's four-year starter at QB, plays
his final home game, with possible New Year's Day plans on
the
line.
|
| Notre Dame at
USC - ABC, 8
PM | |
The Trojans have won two straight from the Irish. Four-year
starter Kory Minor, the heart of the Notre Dame defense at
LB, comes home for his last regular-season
game.
|
| November's Bitter
Harvest: | |
Missouri's Big 12 nightmare includes a home game with
Colorado (11/7), a trip to Texas A&M (11/14) and then a
homer vs. Kansas State
(11/21).
|
|
Back to top
|
