Tough act to follow
This year, Tennessee-Florida has September company
Posted: Sunday September 12, 1999 10:16 PM
By Stewart Mandel, CNN/SI
For five or six years now, Florida-Tennessee has meant the first big week of the college season. If that's to be true this year, it's got a whole lot to live up to.
Sure, we're still jacked for the showdown in the Swamp, especially with the Vols entering this year's rendition as defending national champs. But it's only mid-September, and we've already witnessed some dandies in Miami-Ohio State, Notre Dame-Michigan and, of course, the masterpiece that was Georgia Tech-Florida State.
Granted, last weekend's Tech-FSU game was no defensive masterpiece. But in terms of an ACC team actually coming in with hype and challenging FSU, and in terms of the individual showcases by Joe Hamilton and Peter Warrick, this was possibly the best non-Tennessee/Florida September game since Kordell Stewart's hail mary against Michigan in 1994.
What could make this weekend so special, however, is the added bonus of Penn State-Miami during the day. We're talking two Top 10 battles in the same state on the same day -- maybe the "Statitudes" folks ought to go look that one up. In the meantime, we're going to learn an awful lot about the national title picture by this time next week.
 |
|
Each week, the Glance offers its projected BCS lineup. |
| Sugar:
Florida State vs. Penn State |
Orange:
Miami vs. Tennessee |
| Rose:
Michigan vs. Arizona State |
Fiesta:
Nebraska vs. Georgia Tech |
 |
|
The bowl race at a glance: |
|
Only one change in the BCS forecast this week: Arizona State, not Arizona, is now our favorite in the Pac-10. Georgia Tech stays in the mix despite the loss to FSU -- it's doubtful any defense on their schedule before the finale against Georgia will be able to stop the Jackets. But all hell will likely break loose next week, with four of our eight projected invitees playing each other (Tennessee-Florida, Penn State-Miami). The Vols-Gators winner, as always, controls its own destiny for the SEC's BCS spot, and the loser faces a long season of looking in on the national-title race from the gallery. |
 |
|
ON:
Joe Hamilton. Like a Princeton against a Georgetown, we all love the little guy |
|
ON:
Mike Moschetti. Buffaloes QB rebounds from Colorado State disaster to lead CU's 767-yard rampage against San Jose State. |
|
OFF:
LaVar Arrington. Georgia's new Uga more tame than this animal.
|
|
OFF:
Washington State. Was the Rose Bowl really two years ago? Cougars lost 54-17 to Stanford -- which lost 69-17 to Texas the week before.
|
|
ON:
Kevin Feterik. And to think before the season BYU fans were talking about their defense. |
|
OFF:
Space-age uniforms. Note to Oregon athletic officials: A better solution would be to change the school colors. |
 |
| Bowden Ball |
|
This week, family celebrates FSU and Clemson's big wins -- and tells Terry, "Dadgum, even we think you sound funny."
|
| Notre Dame Standard Time |
|
Tip for Bob Davie and Jarious Jackson: Have someone else drive to the airport.
|
| Sunshine Showdowns |
|
Last week's collision of Top 10 teams took place in Tallahassee. This week, the state plays host to two: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 4 Florida in Gainesville and No. 3 Penn State at No. 8 Miami.
|
 |
| Colorado State at BYU, Thursday |
|
Oh, the passing. Oh, those uniforms. Watch with a bag handy, this could be more dizzying than the "Blair Witch Project."
|
| Cincinnati at Wisconsin, Saturday |
|
Cincinnati has arguably the worst rushing defense in college football and just lost to Troy State. Saturday, it faces Wisconsin's Ron Dayne. Good lord.
|
| Tennessee at Florida, Saturday |
|
Normally, Tennessee can't win in the Swamp. But also normally, schools with directional names don't look like Brett Favre in the Swamp. Write this one down, you media-paranoid Rocky Toppers: We're picking the Vols.
|
| * Three games selected at random |
 |
|
Ask the Glance and
you shall receive.
|
|
Remember: this column is updated on Sundays, so don't be that guy who asks,
"Is my team gonna win this weekend?"
University officials are supposed to be refining the nation's youth. Yet, on TV we routinely see college football coaches act as verbal thugs when their players make honest, foreseeable mistakes. Isn't it about time somebody tells these megalomaniacs that it's 1999, and to shape up or ship out?
Greg Smith, West Jordan, Utah
Good point, especially considering the ever-widening double standard of multimillionaires overseeing players who are punished for taking a cent. But no one will be punishing potty-mouthed coaches so long as the players keep accepting it. At Colorado, the team sent kinder, gentler Rick Neuheisel packing in favor of the more disciplined Gary Barnett. At South Carolina, players have expressed nothing but thrill at the arrival of classic screamer/grabber Lou Holtz. The best current example of athlete backlash at a coach is Indiana's Bob Knight, but even with his program crumbling around him he remains on campus. Apparently, Greg, you're one of a minority of fans out there as fed up with the coaches as they are with the players.
|
|
